Digimon: Chrono
by Russell the Dragon
Summary: Technology has a way bigger impact than the humans realize. It is the reason the digital world, and digimon, exist. It used to be a happy place. Now, it has all but been changed by the entity, only known as... Zsalm. If we want to save our world, we digimon must partner up with humans, and give them the power of Chrono. Only then, may we have a chance to save both worlds.
1. Episode 1: An Adventure Begins

**Rated M for cursing. Yeah, a Digimon story going rated M for lots of chaos, destruction, blood, and heavy cursing.**

The world we live in has been a digital-reliant world ever since the first computer was made. It has only since grown, to the point where everything relies on technology, from banking information to entertainment. Self-driving cars were in the works, prototypes of hoverboards were being created, and video games became more and more like looking like real life. We even have better ways of getting people around the world, expanding it for everyone. Yes, technology has had a huge impact on this world.

In fact, technology has a way bigger impact than people realize. And you won't believe it if I told you. No one would.

You see, the exact moment that first computer was turned on, something incredible happened: a new world was born. A world separate, yet similar to our own. A world made up of nothing but information.

The Digital World.

At first, the world was barren; it didn't really look much like a world at all. It was mainly just hills and sky, all with the trademark green and black grid-like pattern. No signs of life anywhere. It was just a thing that existed.

This wasn't the case for very long, as technology got newer and newer, such as the invention of game consoles, smart phones and tablets, the digital world became more defined and detailed. The sky turned a light blue and formed clouds, hills and pastures began to have dirt and grass. A sun was even present in this world now. Trees of many varieties were popping up around the digital world; mountains formed, snow started to fall, the ocean formed, and many lakes and rivers were made. Until finally, the first life forms of this planet surfaced.

They were called digimon, short for digital monsters. These creatures were life-forms made entirely out of digital information, much like the world itself.

Each digimon was different and alike in their own ways; each had their own power moves, appearance, and personality. Some were wild, while the others became intelligent. Some might resemble birds, some resembling wolves, and others resembling dinosaurs. Each individual digimon even had their own personal tastes when it came to food, music, and entertainment. Yes, the digimon were clearly the dominant race of this digital world. And soon, they even began to have their own goals in life, such as becoming rock stars, becoming rich, and just being all-around famous. Other digimon weren't like that; they actually wanted to help their world be more habitable, to make it better.

The digimon built a civilization that could rival the likes of ancient Rome. Cities were appearing everywhere all around the digital world, many with huge skyscrapers, rivaling real-life cities like New York and Tokyo. Average small towns were being built as well, giving digimon an escape from the hussle and bussle of the big cities. There were even areas of nothing but nature, meaning that digimon could have the chance to become farmers, if they so please to. Many digimon took up jobs to support themselves, as they needed to eat, sleep, use the necesities, and socialize just like us humans. They had homes, their dream jobs, and some even decided to settle down, and raise a family of their own.

War barely happened in the digital world, either. Yes, crimes happened here and there, but when that happened, Chrono-League was always there to stop it.

You see, this world was possible by one special property holding it all together: Chronotic Energy, or Chrono, as the digimon have likened to call it. Chrono is the energy that ties all aspects of the world together, either for creation or destruction. Digimon themselves, with plenty of training, can even harness this energy for themselves, along with their standard moves. And those digimon who are masters of this energy created Chrono-League, a group of digimon who protected the digital world.

Of course, you all probably think I'm full of shit. Taking every single drug I could get my hands on, and just thought this up after tripping balls for hours on end. Hell, if someone had tried to tell me this, I would definitely think the same way.

Believe it or not, what I am telling you is the absolute truth. These creatures, this world, it all is true, it exists! How do I know this? Have I ever seen them? Yes, I have. Hundreds, no, THOUSANDS of them. And I was one of the many humans who were given the power to save not just the digital world, but the world us humans live in as well.

Let me back up a bit. I'm going to tell you everything about the digital world, and the mysterious power of Chrono, which helped to save the two worlds from an evil digital entity. To when the biggest event of my life started...

 **...**

 **(Music starts playing as the camera pans across the green plains. Zooms up and sees two silhouettes on top of a hill; one short and one tall.)**

 **(The camera then cuts to the two silhouettes, revealing them to be Adrian and Shoutmon, looking at the distance. They then look at each other with a smile, nod, and then turn around. White flashes to the two of them running, with Shoutmon in front of Adrian.)**

 _saa ryoute hiroge ano kumo wo koete_

 **(To their right appears Seina, with her partner, Hawkmon.)**

 _niji no aachi kugutte_

 **(Then to their left appears Connor with his partner, Dorumon.)**

 _mezasu basho e_

 **(Camera flies over Adrian's head and into the sky; title appears.)**

 **"DIGIMON: CHRONO"**

 _FLY AWAY!_

 _(mukaikaze datte dekai kabe datte oikaze matotte mezasu basho e)_

 **(Cuts to the six of them stopping at a hill and looking at the distance. Cut to what they are looking at, which is then revealed that they're looking at their hometown, Woodland River.)**

 _kimi ga soba ni iru kara_

 **(Cuts to Woodland Senior High School. The camera goes through the doors to reveal Jessie, Sheala, and Eric, who are all talking and laughing, then they look at the camera and wave.)**

 _I held you hand cuz you said_

 _"Take you to the shining place from a maze"_

 _kimi wo shinjite_

 **(Cuts to Derek, Jake, Amy, Brady M, Brady G, and Luke talking and laughing with each other, then notice the camera, turn to it, smile and wave.)**

 _tsukanda sono te atatakakute_

 _mitsumeru sono hitomi ni kumori wa nakute_

 **(Cuts to a pink background. Seina and Hawkmon float by, with Seina holding a cyber-staff and pink glowing marks on her left hand. They then float away, with the background turning orange, as well as Connor and Dorumon taking their place, Connor holding a cyber whip, and orange glowing marks on his hand.)**

 _kodoku wo tsumikasaneta omoi ga kareta daichi ni otoshita namida_

 **(Cuts to a small pond in the forest. Two silhoettes are standing at the edge of the pond. Again, one shorter than the other.)**

 _hitotsubu no shizuku ga hirogatte_

 **(Cuts to a close up of Iki and his partner, Gabumon, who has a worried look on his face. Iki then turns his head in the opposite direction with a serious look on his face.)**

 _iro toridori no hana wo sakashiteku_

 **(Cut to a ruined city, with many Digimon either destroying things or lying on the ground. A giant figure is shooting off a purple energy beam, destroying everything the beam touches.)**

 _tsuyogari no naifu wo furimawashite_

 **(Cut to Shoutmon's left side, which shows his hometown in the digital world in flames.)**

 _kizutsukete_

 **(Cut to Shoutmon's right side, which shows what seems to be his digimon friends lying on the ground, battered, bloody, and possibly dead.)**

 _kizutsuite_

 **(Cut to Shoutmon's eyes, which are closed and crying, but then open up, showing that the eyes are now glowing red.)**

 _kurayami de sakendeta_

 **(Cut to Connor, a confident look on his face, with his hand glowing orange as he extends it out. Dorumon jumps in, and then digivolves into Dorugamon, then digivolves into DoruGreymon, and finally both human and digimon glow a bright orange, and after the shine ends, stands one tall silhouette with a sword.)**

 _ima hikari terasu ano sora no hate e_

 **(Cut to Seina, with her face stern and serious, and extends her glowing pink hand. Hawkmon jumps in, who digivolves into Aquillamon, who then digivoles into Hippogryphmon. Him and Seina then glow bright pink, and as the glowing ends, there stands a tall silhouette with wings.)**

 _kimi no te o tsukande hanasani you ni_

 **(Cut to Adrian and Shoutmon, both with a determined, angry look to them. Adrian extends his hand up in the air, which is glowing red. Shoutmon then digivolves to SilvShoutmon, then digivoles into OmniShoutmon. Adrian and his partner then glow a bright red, and the glowing end reveals a giant silhouette.)**

 _FLY AWAY!_

 _(mukaikaze datte dekai kabe datte_

 _oikaze matotte mezasu basho e)_

 **(Close up of the silhouette as it raises what seems to be a sword. Cuts back to the first shot, and the figure slashes. Cut to Adrian and Shoutmon, talking and laughing on top of the roof of his house, watching the sunset.)**

 _Boku ga soba ni iru kara_

 **Created by: Russell the Dragon**

 **...**

 **EPISODE 1: An Adventure Begins!**

I groggily open my eyes after a night of peaceful, relaxing sleep (and some very odd dreams) to see a very plain-looking white wall above me. A white wall without anything. No posters, no drawings, nothing, except the brown ceiling light/fan.

It wasn't my ideal choice for a room setup; I just didn't have the money for posters or stuff like that.

I spent the next ten minutes just thinking about myself, see what I remember. Name's Adrian? Okay, got that down. Now how do I look? Let's see... dirty blonde, long hair on the top of my head, with light stubble. I was tall, and a tiny bit fat, but still could look attractive. Greenish blue eyes? Yeah, that's my eye color. Okay, no total amnesia yet, so that's good.

I wasn't entirely ready to wake up yet, but something told me I had to. I usually forget things when I wake up in the morning. By usually, I mean all the time. It ranges from one little thing, to about a hundred things, depends on the morning, really. One time I had complete amnesia for a solid ten minutes. You know how scary it is not even knowing what your name is?

Oh yeah, you don't, because you never hit your head that hard, and because you aren't some TV or movie character. Kind of what I wish to be.

I got out of my bed, which had blue sheets and a blue blanket, and rested my feet on the tan carpet flooring of my bedroom, trying to go through why it was that I had to wake up early. I usually sleep in until 10 or 11, sometimes 12. But today, I had to get up at 6:25 AM. But why, exactly?

"Is it my birthday?" I asked myself out loud. I like to do that when I'm alone. When with others, I try not to. People usually associate those who talk to themselves as... how should I put this... crazy? Mentally insane? Yeah. One of those two.

"No, my birthday's in the summer. It's fall now." The word "fall" gave me a clue as to what I was supposed to remember. "Wait... fall..." I spent the next five minutes pondering the word "fall."

See how bad my morning amnesia is?

Suddenly, my sleepily eyes jolted open as I looked at the calendar hanging against the wall by my desk.

Tuesday, September 6th.

The first day of high school.

"CRAAAAAAAAAAP!" I yelled at the top of my lungs as I rummaged through my dresser to find a decent pair of clothes. Thankfully, it didn't take long, as I had filled my dressers last night. I put on what some would call "basic": A bright red T-Shirt, a pair of blue jeans, white socks, and a dark grey unzipped hoodie on top of it.

Oh, I almost forgot the important part, too! I looked to my hangers, where I saw my pair of goggles with silver frames and red lenses. I grabbed the goggles and put them on my head.

I don't give a fuck if people make fun of me for wearing them, like they do everyday. These goggles are important to me. They were a gift from my brother Aaron for Christmas one year. He's 21, soon to be 22, and he's out-of-state in college, so these goggles are a sentimental item to me, so I wear them everyday. Man, I miss Aaron...

Wait, there's no time to think about that, I gotta get going! I ran out into the kitchen and grabbed one of the cinnamon rolls my parents had bought the night previous, then washed it down with some milk... straight from the carton.

Hey, don't judge! I was in a rush!

...or, I thought I was. You see, the bus appeared at the corner of my block at 7:05 AM every morning. It always has each year. I was just getting my shoes on when I looked at the clock, which said 6:50 AM.

So the rushing, and carton guzzling, wasn't even necessary. I had plenty of time to get myself ready for school

I just stood there for a solid minute, with one shoe on, staring at the clock, and wondering why the hell I'm such a dumbass, when I heard a voice coming from downstairs, into the basement. "Adrian, is that you?"

That voice came from my mother. If I had continued the rush, I probably would have forgotten to say goodbye to her, which would have made her worried and angry with me.

"Yeah, it is, Mom," I yelled back downstairs. "Good morning! Is Dad at work?"

"Yes, he is, honey," she called back, now appearing in front of the stairs. "And good morning to you two." She is a short woman, with long blonde hair. She greatly resembled me, except that I'm one of the tallest kids in my grade. "He wanted to tell you to have a good day at school today. We're both so proud; you're a high schooler now!"

"It's just going to high school," I told her with a blush. "I didn't discover a new inhabitable planet or anything."

She smiled at me. "I know, honey bunny. We just love you so much. Oh, and don't forget your backpack when you go."

That's another thing I almost forgot: grab my backpack. I facepalmed so hard I actually hurt myself. I deserved it. "Almost forgot," I said with a slight chuckle. "Thank you so much!" I ran to my room to grab my pack, which I had stuffed with school supplies the night before, when I noticed something off about my computer.

It was doing something... odd. I can't describe it. The computer was shut off, I know that for sure, but weird digital effects were still appearing on the screen. I was about to see what was happening, but then I looked at my clock. It said 7:02.

The computer could wait. I grabbed my backpack, ran to the fridge to get a soda for later, said goodbye to Mom, and then ran to the bus stop, which was at a red one-and-a-half story house at the end of my block. When I got there, it was merely seconds before the other kid who rode my bus, Rick, walked by from his log house across the street.

"Well, time for nine more months of boredom," I said jokingly to Rick.

"Eh," he replied. Some days he was a talker, and others he isn't. This is one of those "isn't" days, I assumed. "How was your summer, Adrian?" he asked.

"It was alright," I replied. My summer was actually kind of cool. I went to two fairs, each of them with rides, over the summer. Summer was my absolute favorite season, and to see that it was fall just made me sad.

"Same," he said. Man, what a boring conversation.

"Hey, Rick, you're good with computers, right?" I asked, changing the conversation.

"Yes, I am. Is something wrong?"

"Yeah. You see, before I left, my computer screen was showing something weird. You know those green number things from the Matrix? Well, it was something like that, but red instead of green."

He rubbed his chin for a while. "You're right, that is weird," he finally said. "I can't really help you."

I lowered my head in disappointment. My computer's just broken, and that's just wonderful.

At first, I thought this day would be like any other, with the exception that I was going to high school now, with bigger responsibilities and all that.

How wrong I was.

The bus ride was, largely, uneventful, besides the fact that everyone else was catching up with each other for the whole ride. I barely knew anyone on the bus, besides Rick, and my mixed-family neighbor friends, Brady G and Brady M, who were my age: Ben, Brady M's younger brother, who was starting 5th grade; and Aster, Brady G, M, and Ben's younger brother, who was starting first grade.

We got to the school, and I went to my homeroom to get my class schedule:

 _Choir - 1st Period_

 _Physics - 2nd period_

 _Literature - 3rd period_

 _History - 4th Period (B Lunch)_

 _Phys Ed - 5th Hour_

The only class I didn't like was history, but other than that, I was happy with my schedule.

Throughout the day, I got to catch up with some old friends who I hadn't seen since June. My best friends Jake and Amy talked for quite a while before the bell rang.

Jake was the ideal nerd. He had short hair, the same color as mine, and was very skinny. He is also usually doing some weird bendy things with his hands. He liked to wear T-shirts, relating to music or groups he was in, jogger pants, and tennis shoes. He sometimes wore glasses as well.

And Amy, she was a geek as well, but you probably couldn't tell that. She had long hair, same color as me and Jake's, with a hair band on her forehead. Today, she wore a purple dance team jacket with a green tank top, jeans, and sneakers. Amy also wore glasses, occasionally, as well.

We had been best friends since kindergarten. At first, it was just Jake and Amy, but then I got to know them quite a bit, and started hanging around with them more often.

Jake and Amy are quite different compared to me, in terms of personalities. They like to study, and I'd rather play video games. Jake was a pretty smart kid, and Amy was a dancer. The one thing that we all have in common is that we all loved music. We are even in the same choir class!

After that, I ran into my long-time crush, Jessie Anners. She was beautiful; she was one of the shortest kids, with her being 5'2'' or 5'3'', with me standing around 6'2'' or 6'3''. She dyed her hair to a light blue late last year, and it still hung around. She also was kind of a punk, usually wearing black. Her favorite movie of all time was Nightmare before Christmas, so she had something related to that around with her as well.

Today she was hanging out with her two best friends, Sheala and Eric. They liked to have these walks around the school before first hour, which usually lead to going outside. I watched her talk and laugh (an amazing laugh she has, by the way) with her friends, just wanting to talk to her, Man, I always wanted to tell Jessie how I felt about her. Maybe one day, but not now.

She has a boyfriend. I cried myself to sleep that night when I found out.

Lunch... wasn't the best. I just sat by kids that I at least knew. Wouldn't call them friends or anything. Actually, scratch that, I had one good friend in the same lunch as me: Derek Colaski. We were friends since 7th grade, and really good friends since 9th grade, so it was good having a familiar face to sit with. Making fun of the poor quality food was fun, too.

...

I got off the bus by 2:45, and started to walk towards my house. School was actually kind of entertaining today, probably just because everything was new to me. I got lost quite a few times, that school is just so big. Still, I was glad the school day was over, and I could go home and play some video games. Hey, maybe the computer is fixed by now.

When I got to my room, I set my stuff down, and sat in my black traditional office chair, staring at the now vortex-like structure of these digital particle effects on my screen. What the hell was happening? It's forcing my computer to stop working, and I don't know how to fix it. I just want to play some Sims, man! The effect was creeping me out, so I unplugged the computer. The effects went away, just like that.

Of course, like anyone would do, I decided to Google it. I got out my gold smartphone, but it wouldn't turn on for some reason.

"God damn it, not my phone, too!" I yelled as I threw the useless device onto my bed. "How am I going to explain this to my parents if they try to call me?" I looked at the phone, and noticed a small red light coming from it. Out of morbid curiousity, I decided to pick it up to see what was happening.

And, I shit you not, that same particle vortex effects started to appear on my phone's screen.

 _What the fuck..._

I freaked out and slammed the phone into one of my desk drawers. I needed to calm down after what was happening. And what better way to calm down, than to hop onto one of my video games and kill some virtual people?

...I'm perfectly sane...

I pressed the "on" button on my game console. Didn't work.

Pressed it again. Didn't work.

Pressed it five more times. Didn't work times five.

 _Why are all my things being stupid and not working?_

After that, I was weary, but I decided to watch some TV. I grabbed the small television remote that was on my dresser and pressed the power button.

And this time, it actually turned on! With a catch...

...and by catch, I mean that same vortex effect from my computer screen and phone. I was basically shitting myself out of fear at this point.

As a kid, I used to have these horrible nightmares. In them, I'd be watching TV or playing a video game, when the TV would go crazy. Then a monster would pop out of the TV and kill me, usually by pulling me into the TV with him to their dimension, and I'd wake up. This happened to me for years, until I was ten years old. So guess how I handled this whole situation with the technology?

I freaked out like the coward I was.

I ran out into the living room, and I decided to turn on the smart TV to see if it would do the same thing as everything else that has a fucking screen.

And sure enough, it was. That TV did not stay on for too long.

Mom and Dad were both at work, so I was alone. It was just me and my two cats, Cecil and Shadow. I ran back to my room, rummaged through my closet, and grabbed a bat, so that if anything decided to jump out and kill me, I would be ready. I am not going to die today; I'm only 16!

And sure enough, something did jump out of my television, but not anything I was expecting. It was a ball of red light, slowly squeezing out of the screen like a bubble, and began floating around my room. I held the bat at hand, ready for anything to happen.

The ball suddenly started to take on a different form after a few seconds of floating around. It started to grow arms and legs. A pointy tail sprouted out as well. The ball of energy got more and more creature-like until it resembled a red dinosaur. I could not believe what was happening in front of me.

The dinosaur opened its eyes. They were big and green. It had a red V on its forehead, and its arms, legs, and torso seemed to be held together by nuts and bolts. It was even wearing a pair of white and green headphones. It turned its head towards me, smiled, and said...

"Hey, what's up?"

 **SMACK!**

I was so freaked out by what was happening that as soon as it spoke, I hit whatever the creature was in the head with my bat. Besides having a bump mark and lying on the ground, he seemed completely unphased. He then got up and turned back to me with an angry look.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!?" the dinosaur yelled. Freaked out by his voice and facial expressions, I nervously laughed and slowly put the bat down in front of him.

"Hehe... whoops?" I shakingly muttered. His already angry looking face got angrier. I raised my hands up. Thank god I didn't have to pee, or else I'd be walking around in smelly, wet jeans.

"I'm just going to ignore what you did to me," the dinosaur said, rubbing the back of his head. He then began to observe me.

He walked circles around me, looked through each and every corner of my body, leaving no part unturned. He then just... stared into my eyes. This whole situation got really creepy for me, but every time I turned to leave, he'd growl, which did its job, I guess. Finally, after what seemed like hours, he smiled.

"How about we get off to a better start, okay with that? My name's Shoutmon, and we're partners from this moment on." His smile returned and he held his paw towards me, wanting me to shake his hand.

"Wait, partners?" I asked. "What do you mean, 'partners?'"

"Just shake my hand, and everything will be explained."

I didn't really trust this "Shoutmon" guy at all, so I hesitated on giving in and shaking it. I didn't know what to do. If I left, he might try to kill me, but he expects me to just trust him like THAT.

I don't know if what I did next was the smartest move in the world, but I took him up on his offer and shook Shoutmon's hand. And at that moment when I grabbed his paw, I suddenly got what felt like 1000 volts of pure electricity through my hand.

I immediately let go, and looked at my hand. It started to get this weird pattern, like what the screens had, except it was scarring itself onto my hand.

And it hurt. Badly.

So badly, that I passed out fifteen to twenty seconds after it started from the pain.

"What... the... hell..." were the last words I muttered before blacking out.


	2. Episode 2: The Singing Siblings

(DISCLAIMER: I do **NOT** own the Digimon franchise, the digimon featured in this story, or the lyrics of songs I use so you can go on YouTube to listen to them. All I own are the human characters I created, and the concept of "Chronotic Energy.")

 **Last time, on Digimon: Chrono!**

We had just met up with Adrian, a sixteen-year-old boy with no real ambition in his life, just starting high school. Strangely, things didn't go at all like he expected it to!

His technology devices were becoming gateways to a strange place known as the digital world, an entirely different dimension made of nothing but data.

And through this gateway came out a citizen of the digital world, known as a digimon, named Shoutmon. After a very painful incident, Shoutmon warms up to Adrian.

But, oh no! Shoutmon seems to have given Adrian enough of a shock to pass him out! What will happen to him? Find out, now!

 **...**

 **(Music starts playing as the camera pans across the green plains. Zooms up and sees two silhouettes on top of a hill; one short and one tall.)**

 **(The camera then cuts to the two silhouettes, revealing them to be Adrian and Shoutmon, looking at the distance. They then look at each other with a smile, nod, and then turn around. White flashes to the two of them running, with Shoutmon in front of Adrian.)**

 _saa ryoute hiroge ano kumo wo koete_

 **(To their right appears Seina, with her partner, Hawkmon.)**

 _niji no aachi kugutte_

 **(Then to their left appears Connor with his partner, Dorumon.)**

 _mezasu basho e_

 **(Camera flies over Adrian's head and into the sky; title appears.)**

 **"DIGIMON: CHRONO"**

 _FLY AWAY!_

 _(mukaikaze datte dekai kabe datte oikaze matotte mezasu basho e)_

 **(Cuts to the six of them stopping at a hill and looking at the distance. Cut to what they are looking at, which is then revealed that they're looking at their hometown, Woodland River.)**

 _kimi ga soba ni iru kara_

 **(Cuts to Woodland Senior High School. The camera goes through the doors to reveal Jessie, Sheala, and Eric, who are all talking and laughing, then they look at the camera and wave.)**

 _I held you hand cuz you said_

 _"Take you to the shining place from a maze"_

 _kimi wo shinjite_

 **(Cuts to Derek, Jake, Amy, Brady M, Brady G, and Luke talking and laughing with each other, then notice the camera, turn to it, smile and wave.)**

 _tsukanda sono te atatakakute_

 _mitsumeru sono hitomi ni kumori wa nakute_

 **(Cuts to a pink background. Seina and Hawkmon float by, with Seina holding a cyber-staff and pink glowing marks on her left hand. They then float away, with the background turning orange, as well as Connor and Dorumon taking their place, Connor holding a cyber whip, and orange glowing marks on his hand.)**

 _kodoku wo tsumikasaneta omoi ga kareta daichi ni otoshita namida_

 **(Cuts to a small pond in the forest. Two silhoettes are standing at the edge of the pond. Again, one shorter than the other.)**

 _hitotsubu no shizuku ga hirogatte_

 **(Cuts to a close up of Iki and his partner, Gabumon, who has a worried look on his face. Iki then turns his head in the opposite direction with a serious look on his face.)**

 _iro toridori no hana wo sakashiteku_

 **(Cut to a ruined city, with many Digimon either destroying things or lying on the ground. A giant figure is shooting off a purple energy beam, destroying everything the beam touches.)**

 _tsuyogari no naifu wo furimawashite_

 **(Cut to Shoutmon's left side, which shows his hometown in the digital world in flames.)**

 _kizutsukete_

 **(Cut to Shoutmon's right side, which shows what seems to be his digimon friends lying on the ground, battered, bloody, and possibly dead.)**

 _kizutsuite_

 **(Cut to Shoutmon's eyes, which are closed and crying, but then open up, showing that the eyes are now glowing red.)**

 _kurayami de sakendeta_

 **(Cut to Connor, a confident look on his face, with his hand glowing orange as he extends it out. Dorumon jumps in, and then digivolves into Dorugamon, then digivolves into DoruGreymon, and finally both human and digimon glow a bright orange, and after the shine ends, stands one tall silhouette with a sword.)**

 _ima hikari terasu ano sora no hate e_

 **(Cut to Seina, with her face stern and serious, and extends her glowing pink hand. Hawkmon jumps in, who digivolves into Aquillamon, who then digivoles into Hippogryphmon. Him and Seina then glow bright pink, and as the glowing ends, there stands a tall silhouette with wings.)**

 _kimi no te o tsukande hanasani you ni_

 **(Cut to Adrian and Shoutmon, both with a determined, angry look to them. Adrian extends his hand up in the air, which is glowing red. Shoutmon then digivolves to SilvShoutmon, then digivoles into OmniShoutmon. Adrian and his partner then glow a bright red, and the glowing end reveals a giant silhouette.)**

 _FLY AWAY!_

 _(mukaikaze datte dekai kabe datte_

 _oikaze matotte mezasu basho e)_

 **(Close up of the silhouette as it raises what seems to be a sword. Cuts back to the first shot, and the figure slashes. Cut to Adrian and Shoutmon, talking and laughing on top of the roof of his house, watching the sunset.)**

 _Boku ga soba ni iru kara_

 **Created by: Russell the Dragon**

 **...**

 **Episode 2: The Singing Siblings**

 _ **[September 1, 2015]**_

 _ **[12:00 PM]**_

 _ **[Omniopolis, Digital World]**_

I awake from my slumber to hear an extremely loud knocking on my bedroom door. I rose my head, and saw nothing but a blur. I rubbed my eyes and opened them to see a brown door on a red-colored wall with a silver handle, slightly moving with each knock from the other side.

"Coming," I sleepily replied as I got out of bed...

...okay, more like fell out of bed and landed face flat on my nose. Luckily, no one was there to see that. I value my pride, okay?

"Ow," I muttered as I rubbed my sore nose pushed myself up with my forearms, which were white with black fingers, and walked towards the door.

I opened the door up to see my fraternal twin sister, Musimon. She was dressed up in her usual clothing of a dark purple tanktop, with black skinny jeans and silver tennis shoes. I saw that she had just finished showering, as her light blue fur still looked a tad bit wet. She still wore her black and purple headphones with white trimming, and the two purple wristbands on her left ear.

I don't understand why she goes through with putting all those on. I mean, most digimon don't wear clothes, including myself (besides my headphones of course,) and it has worked out so far.

"Hey, Shoutmon," she said with a smile after the door was opened. No, not a smile. It was more like a devious smirk. "Did you fall out of bed again?"

"What? Of course not!" I lied. I'm a terrible liar.

"Suuuuure, you didn't. Not a big deal anyways. But what IS a big deal is today!"

"Oh yeah, yeah..." I replied. "And can you remind me what today is again?"

She turned around, with the most frightening look I've ever seen.

"You... you FORGOT?!" She started to charge towards me, which almost made me piss myself.

"O-of course not!" Of course I have. "Ummm... your birthday?"

"WRONG," she says as her eyes begin to fire up. I gulped.

Then she did something I honestly did not expect: she calmed down.

"Of course you forgot, silly," she said in her cutesy voice.

God damn it, I hate it when she does that to me! She acts psycho for a while, then automatically returns back to normal. I know this is just a trick to scare me, or as she puts it, "to keep me in line," but every time she does it, I feel like it's real, and she has some mental illness or something.

"I never would've expected you to remember today," she continued. "You can barely remember your name." That hurt, but sadly, it was kind of true.

Musimon crossed her arms, which both had a black music scale tattoo on them. "Anyways, it's Chrono Day, and we're performing at the festival downtown." Her lips formed a smile of a joking nature. "NOW do you remember, my airhead bro?"

Oh yeah, today was Chrono Day! Chrono Day is the biggest holiday of the Digital World! It's a day where we celebrate the powerful essence of Chrono, and thank the Chrono-League for protecting our world. Omniopolis always has a huge festival at Frontier Park, with rides, food stands, food stands, food stands (did I say food stands already? Sorry, I love food) and live music. It was my second absolute favorite holiday, next to Christmas; how could I forget?!

And this year was the first year me and my sister had been offered a chance to perform on-stage during the festival! How cool was that?

"Oh, that's right!" I exclaimed with a smile as I ran for the bathroom to shower up and get ready for the event.

"Don't take too long," Musimon yells as I'm running. "We have to be there in an hour!"

Musimon and I have always looked out for each other. We sort of had to, to be honest...

Life hadn't always been easy for me and my sister. Our mother died after our eggs hatched. We never even gotten to know her. Dad used to tell us how wonderful she was, though...

Mom was a Musimon, like my sister, except she had violet fur, and usually wore a white summer dress. At least, that's what my dad, who was a yellow Shoutmon, used to tell us.

Dad wasn't around much, either. I still remember that day: Musimon and I had woke up at the exact same time, and excitedly decided to go wake up Dad so he could make us breakfast. For kids, what we saw next scarred the both of us forever.

We opened the door, and didn't see Dad in bed, no... we saw him hanging from the ceiling. He had tied a rope onto the ceiling light, and slipped his head through a loop in the rope. Have you ever witnessed a parent, or anyone you know, hang themsevles?

We were afraid the authorities would think we did this to him, and put us away forever. So we ran. We ran, and ran, and ran, until eventually, we didn't even know where we were, or where we lived.

Musimon and I were orphans. Living out on the streets. Presumed criminals.

We had to, mainly, count on each other for survival for the next few years. No one else we could count on, to feed us, to shelter us. Those you trust could one day stab you in the back and leave you for dead.

But not my sister. Not Musimon. I'll always trust her. Without her, I'd most likely be some wild Garulumon's lunch that he had five years ago.

Musimon was pretty much my exact opposite. For example, I was clearly male, and she's female, of course you probably guessed that already. But we're different personality-wise.

I tended to go with my gut, which usually said "go eat food." She uses her head to solve problems. She's sweet, but stern, and I'm a hot head, yet playful.

We both love to sing, but even our singing styles were different. She tended to sing slow, and "soulful" songs, while I always try to lighten up the party with my amazing, loud singing voice. Seriously; ask anyone. Our singing is THAT good.

To make a living as kids, we usually sung on street corners, with a tip box. Occasionally, people would give money, even if it was nothing but a single Digit. Even that single Digit helped us get the meal we needed for that day, though, so at least we could feed ourselves without having to resort to stealing.

Eventually, more digimon started to hear of us, and before we knew it, every day there was a crowd of digimon, there to just watch us sing, like they were at a concert.

We started getting more and more money every day in tips. Some days, we used to walk out with about 2000 Digits each day... or, to you humans, that's equivalent to 200 dollars. Yeah, we made THAT much in a day.

Eventually, we stopped playing at street corners for tips, and started arranging full-fledged concerts, which everyone loved going to. We made so much from these concerts, we could actually rent an apartment, and actually sleep in a bed every night now!

And soon, we began to see our faces on billboards, posters, and sometimes even on TV!

We were superstars. A twin pair of orphans, suddenly become worldwide celebrities. Can you believe that?

It wouldn't last, though, as I am about to find out today.

Musimon and I arrived at Frontier Park's festival at 12:50 PM. I was feeling hungry, like I pretty much always am, and I wanted to quickly go to one of the pizza stands. Of course, my sister being the bossy part of us, she yanked my tail when I tried to go.

"We don't have time," she told me. "We have to get ready to perform. We already warmed up, but we need to finish setting up the speakers, the microphones-"

"You know," I interrupted, "microphones can pick up growling stomachs. If mine happens to do so, and the microphone picks it up, then it'll be super embarrassing for the both of us. So getting food is actually a GOOD idea."

"The microphone will be pointed towards your mouth, not your stomach," she said back with a smirk, "and they won't be THAT powerful. So nice try." She then dragged me (by the tail I must add) to the stage where we set up. I felt my stomach grumble slightly, but only loud enough so I could hear it. I rubbed my gut and sighed.

It took about eight minutes to finish setting everything up. As soon as we finished, we were told to wait behind the curtain until we were called. I peaked out from backstage.

Wow, were there a lot of digimon here, just to watch us sing a song. I'm usually calm about this, but today was Chrono Day! We had extra pressure on top of us to not mess up, and by the look on Musimon's face, I could tell that she realized this as well.

I just hope Musimon was right about the microphone not picking up the light noises my stomach was currently making. I knew I should've eaten something before leaving.

"...and now, ladies and gentlemon," I heard the announcer, Edimon, say, "put your hands, claws, wings, and feet together for the Dynamics Duo, the Singing Siblings, the Crescendo Kids-" _Will you stop with that?_ I thought, grimmacing. _Just say our names already._ "-Shoutmon and Musimon!" As soon as he said that, and we walked towards our microphones, every single digimon screamed with excitement.

 _Geez, I know you're all excited, but calm down; it's just putting more pressure onto us!_

I looked over at Musimon, who was on my right, and she looked over at me. We smiled at each other... took a big breath... and began to sing.

 **SHOUTMON:** Before the dawn, when the light's still gone, shine... shine your way! And you may not know... where to go... shine... shine your way!

 **SHOUTMON and MUSIMON:** Open road, but it's still dark, build a fire from a spark and shine... shine your way! Feed the feeling in your heart, don't conceal it then your start to find... find your way!

 **MUSIMON:** No one can stop, what has begun, you must believe when I saaaaay...

 **SHOUTMON and MUSIMON:** All of your tears will dry faster in the sun...

 **MUSIMON:** Starting today!

 **SHOUTMON and MUSIMON:** Shine, shine, shiiiine... Shine your way!

 **(Music for five seconds)**

 **SHOUTMON:** Morning is breaking!

 **MUSIMON:** Darkness is fading!

 **SHOUTMON and MUSIMON:** We found a way to the liiiight! It's such a beautiful SIIIIGHT!

 **SHOUTMON:** Anytime, anywhere, turn around and I'll be there to shine... shine your waaay!

 **MUSIMON:** Like a star, burning bright, lighting up the darkest night, I'll shine...

 **SHOUTMON and MUSIMON:** Shine your waaaay!

 **MUSIMON:** Now I can see...

 **SHOUTMON:** You are the one!

 **MUSIMON:** Sent here to show me the waaaay...

 **SHOUTMON and MUSIMON:** All of our tears will dry faster in the sun...

 **MUSIMON:** STARTING TODAY!

 **SHOUTMON and MUSIMON:** Shine, shine, shiiine; we're on our way! Shine, shine, shiiine; that's why we say! Shine, shine, shiiine... SHINE YOUR WAY!

We stopped with that last note. The crowd cheering afterwards was the sweetest sound anyone could hear.

I suddenly felt someone grab me. I turned to my right, and there was Musimon, hugging me and crying. I hugged her back, which of course made the crowd cheer even louder.

"I can't believe it," I told her after the hug ended, my voice doing a terrible job at hiding my excitement. "We performed live on Chrono Day!"

"I know," Musimon cheered, her voice doing the same amount of excitement hiding as mine. "and we did it... together."

We were about to hug again, when suddenly everything got a bit darker.

"What the hell?" I immediately asked as I looked up at the sky to see dark, purple clouds covering the entire sky. All the cheering of the festival stopped at a seemingly record time. The dark clouds began to move pretty quickly.

"Shoutmon, what's happening?" Musimon asked me.

"Hell if I know. But this doesn't look good, either way. Let's get out of here." She nodded, and we began getting off stage and running back to our home. But as soon as we got off stage, I heard a loud, booming voice, which seemed to be coming from everywhere at the same time.

 **"I HAVE ARRIVED!"** the voice screamed, and a dark vortex formed on the streets of Omniopolis. Some digimon decided to run, while others stayed to observe just what exactly was happening. The vortex disappeared to reveal a dark figure.

 **"Greetings, my digital monster friends,"** the figure spoke. **"You may not know me at this moment, but you will soon enough. I can assure you that."**

I actually got a good look at his face. This figure was nothing but a head, it seemed. A very giant head. It looked like it was made out of those weird clouds in the sky. His eyes were a bright orange, his nose consisting of only two long nostrils, like a lizard's. His mouth was bright yellow, and you could see the teeth popping out of his. He looked terrifying.

 **"My name is Zsalm,"** it continued. **"But you will all know me as the supreme king of the digital world!"**

"Like hell you will," some Floramon shouted from the crowd. "Chrono-League will come and save us! Just you see!"

 **"Chrono-League?"** this 'Zsalm' thing asked. **"Oh, you mean those random digimon that you rely on for your own protection. They're the reason you all cannot defend yourselves. Now, what did I do with them?"** I did not like where he was heading with this...'

 **"Oh, yeah!"** A hand equally as big as his head suddenly formed, and it was in the form of a fist. He opened the palm of his hand, and turned it towards the ground. What fell were all the members of the Chrono-League.

No, not the members.

The Chrono-League's CHOPPED OFF HEADS!

And, because Zsalm was just such a great guy, he showed this great sight on all the advertising screens on the buildings, as well as all the billboards, so everyone could see.

He didn't just show the heads, no... he showed them actually IN the process of being beheaded.

Every single member of Chrono-League was on full display. The look of pure dread on the victims' faces. The look of anger on the surrounding members, which they ended up beheaded as well.

This sight caused every single digimon to scream loudly, including Musimon, who collapsed to the ground, still conscious, in pure terror, refusing to move at all. These sounds still haunt me today.

 **"Now, as supreme king of this world,"** floating dick-cloud said, **"I say we give this world a little decorating to my liking!"**

I looked up at the sky as a ball of light fell from the clouds, colliding with one of the skyscrapers in the city, and watched the whole thing fall to the ground, killing all digimon that were unlucky enough to be under it.

I saw more of these blasts come through the clouds, all a light purple color. I saw them crash into more buildings, causing them to fall down, crushing more digimon. I saw these blasts hit the street directly, killing even more innocent digimon.

"Musimon, we have to move, NOW!" I cried as I pulled her up.

"We're all going to die..." she quietly shrieked. Her face was a new kind of scary: pure terror. Her eyes were as wide as they could get, her pupils as tiny as they could get. Her knees were shaking, her ears were shaking, every part of her was shaking.

"MUSIMON!" I yelled as I slapped her. "There's no time for that! We have to run; NOW!" I grabbed her arm and tugged her as I ran, making sure to avoid all blasts coming from the clouds. I saw thousands of other digimon doing the same, while some of the bigger ones decided to take on Zsalm himself, and sadly, dying on impact.

 **"This is getting boring,"** Zsalm's voice boomed, and about ten seconds later, I see a giant laser pass by me. It's at this point that I'm fearing not just for my life, but both of our lives.

I look around, and see more lasers, destroying more things along with the energy blasts. I look around to see so many bloody, dead bodies of digimon lying on the streets, whether they be whole, half, or just a small piece, like an eye. I even stepped on half of a brain, almost.

The whole situation made me want to barf. I looked over at Musimon, who was still out of it a little. "We're going to make it," I yell. "You can trust me on this!"

I knew where to go; anywhere out of the city. Zsalm seems to only be attacking Omniopolis, so getting out should mean finding somewhere safe.\

After minutes and minutes of running, watching digimon get killed horrifically, and seeing buildings fall on top of each other, we finally made it to the exit of the city.

"We're almost there!" I yell at Musimon, looking at her. Her face suddnely gleemed with hope, that we may just make it out of this... that we'd still be able to live.

That hope died immediately as an energy blast landed right in front of us, flinging both me and Musimon backwards. As soon as I got up, I saw what looked like survivors of the attack. That they were running towards us to help us. But they weren't.

There were four digimon: a Kabuterimon, an Elecmon, a Beetlemon, and a Wormmon. They all had something horribly wrong with them. They were chuckling, and sounded like they had a seriously bad cough. They were glowing a dark purple as well, and they smelled like death... or maybe it was just the city.

"Guys, you're going to die," I told them as I ran after Musimon. "The exit's right there, you can still leave!"

 **"Oh, we're not leaving,"** the Elecmon said with a giggle.

 **"We've finally realized the truth; Zsalm is our savior,"** the Kabuterimon pitched in.

 **"He has given us all one specific job,"** the Wormmon said.

 **"Stop others from leaving the city, and show them the truth,"** the Beetlemon informed me. **"And that includes you two. Let's get them!"**

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" I yelled at them. "HE'S KILLING US! HE'S DESTROYING OUR CITY! THAT THING IS AN ASSHOLE, AND YOU WANT TO FUCKING HELP HIM?!"

 **"Cut out that potty mouth,"** Wormmon said.

 **"Besides,"** continued the Beetlemon. **"We finally see that this is the only way to achieve peace in this world. You and all the other unsaved digimon stand in Lord Zsalm's quest to save this world. And for that, we must stop you."**

All four then charged after us at once. "You guys must be ignorant," I said as I got out my mic and was ready to kick some ass. "Let me be the ones to show you what Zsalm is actually doing!" The Elecmon tried to pounce on top of me, and he got a mouthful of my mic instead. I ran towards THEM and beat the crap out of the Wormmon.

After Wormmon was taken care of, I went straight for Kabuterimon and Beetlemon. They put up a good, long fight, but I managed to knock out Beetlemon by pure luck: he ran into a street pole which hadn't been knocked down yet, until the idiot flew right into it.

Now I just had to take care of this psycho Kabuterimon. It shot a bolt of lightning at me, which I dodged away from. I then made a fireball and threw it at him, which seemingly had no effect, seeing as he didn't flinch at all. "Oh, no..." I said softly.

The corruped Kabuterimon suddenly grabbed me by the waist. It laughed a horrible laugh. **"Look at all of you, so weak, due to your 'Chrono-League,' you can't even fight for yourselves."** He pulled me closer to his face. **"You'll see. Lord Zsalm will make us all strong, and bring salvation to the world. And insects like you won't be around to ruin it."** He then threw me as hard as he could to the ground, crushing a few vital organs. All I could manage to do was lift my head up, and I saw Kabuterimon going towards Musimon, who was still getting up.

"MUSIMON, LOOK OUT!" I cried. She turned to me, startled, then looked at the Kabuterimon looking down at her. She began to run away, but then she got grabbed. I watched in absolute fear and sadness as I saw a smoky claw of Kabuterimon's stab right into my sister's arm. Watched in horror as she was dropped, and slowly became more and more like them.

"NOOOO! MUSIMOOOOOOOON!" I reached out a hand, as much as it hurt, not wanting to accept what was happening. I looked around at everything.

The sky was dark with grey and purple smoky clouds. Everything was on fire, covered in blood. Buildings had been destroyed and fallen, digimon had been either killed, ripped apart, or suddenly wanting to help what was doing this to us.

Then I saw Zsalm himself, looking all joyful with the destruction he caused. He was laughing as more and more digimon were killed or corrupted, and as more stuff got destroyed. This monster was enjoying the suffering, and so were his followers.

Everything we knew was gone.

Everyone I knew was gone.

My life... my family... my home...

Destroyed.

I suddenly felt myself being picked up by something. I turned my head to see that I was being picked up by Omnimon, leader of the Chrono-League.

"Come on, I got you," he calmly said as he flew me out of the city. I looked around and saw more injured digimon being carried by flyers. I looked down to see more digimon safely fleeing the city, and into what seemed to be airships.

"You're all going to be safe," Omnimon reassured me.

I didn't care about that. I wanted to be with Musimon.

I wanted to be with my sister... my only family.


	3. Episode 3: Partnership?

_Hello. I just wanted to apologize for a few mistakes I made with the last chapter. First of all, there were random symbol typos in there, nothing too bad. But there's another thing I just wanted to apologize for._

 _At the beginning, I said that you would all find out what happens to Adrian in Chapter 2, and I didn't fulfill that promise, and decided to go with a flashback. It was a mistake, and I apologize for it._

 _I just want my story to be unlike any other Digimon story on this website. And so far, while I was told the story had potential, I feel like its going the super cliche route. I really need your support to make this story the best it can be, because I have big plans for the plot. If you're reading this right now, I ask you with all of my heart to leave a review of what you like and don't like. It will help out Digimon: Chrono very much in the long run. Thank you very much._

 _Oh yeah, this will also be the last time a chapter begins with the narrator waking up. Why do I keep doing that?_

(DISCLAIMER: I do **NOT** own the Digimon franchise, the digimon featured in this story, or the lyrics of songsI use so you can go on YouTube to listen to them. All I own are the human characters, and the concept of "Chronotic Energy.")

 **Last time, on Digimon: Chrono!**

The Digital World; once a beautiful place with trees, rivers, oceans, and many bustling cities and towns with digimon residing in them, is now a desolate wasteland filled with nothing but destruction and death.

We get a deeper look into Shoutmon's past, and find out that he has a twin sister, Musimon!

We also discover that the two used to be worldwide digi-stars, putting on concerts and soothing the resident digimons' ears with their music, as well.

But, oh no! Zsalm launches his first digital world attack during one of their concerts on the most important day in the digital world, Chrono Day! And Musimon has seemingly been turned into one of Zsalm's forced supporters!

Shoutmon's life has changed for good...

 **...**

 **(Music starts playing as the camera pans across the green plains. Zooms up and sees two silhouettes on top of a hill; one short and one tall.)**

 **(The camera then cuts to the two silhouettes, revealing them to be Adrian and Shoutmon, looking at the distance. They then look at each other with a smile, nod, and then turn around. White flashes to the two of them running, with Shoutmon in front of Adrian.)**

 _saa ryoute hiroge ano kumo wo koete_

 **(To their right appears Seina, with her partner, Hawkmon.)**

 _niji no aachi kugutte_

 **(Then to their left appears Connor with his partner, Dorumon.)**

 _mezasu basho e_

 **(Camera flies over Adrian's head and into the sky; title appears.)**

 **"DIGIMON: CHRONO"**

 _FLY AWAY!_

 _(mukaikaze datte dekai kabe datte oikaze matotte mezasu basho e)_

 **(Cuts to the six of them stopping at a hill and looking at the distance. Cut to what they are looking at, which is then revealed that they're looking at their hometown, Woodland River.)**

 _kimi ga soba ni iru kara_

 **(Cuts to Woodland Senior High School. The camera goes through the doors to reveal Jessie, Sheala, and Eric, who are all talking and laughing, then they look at the camera and wave.)**

 _I held you hand cuz you said_

 _"Take you to the shining place from a maze"_

 _kimi wo shinjite_

 **(Cuts to Derek, Jake, Amy, Brady M, Brady G, and Luke talking and laughing with each other, then notice the camera, turn to it, smile and wave.)**

 _tsukanda sono te atatakakute_

 _mitsumeru sono hitomi ni kumori wa nakute_

 **(Cuts to a pink background. Seina and Hawkmon float by, with Seina holding a cyber-staff and pink glowing marks on her left hand. They then float away, with the background turning orange, as well as Connor and Dorumon taking their place, Connor holding a cyber whip, and orange glowing marks on his hand.)**

 _kodoku wo tsumikasaneta omoi ga kareta daichi ni otoshita namida_

 **(Cuts to a small pond in the forest. Two silhoettes are standing at the edge of the pond. Again, one shorter than the other.)**

 _hitotsubu no shizuku ga hirogatte_

 **(Cuts to a close up of Iki and his partner, Gabumon, who has a worried look on his face. Iki then turns his head in the opposite direction with a serious look on his face.)**

 _iro toridori no hana wo sakashiteku_

 **(Cut to a ruined city, with many Digimon either destroying things or lying on the ground. A giant figure is shooting off a purple energy beam, destroying everything the beam touches.)**

 _tsuyogari no naifu wo furimawashite_

 **(Cut to Shoutmon's left side, which shows his hometown in the digital world in flames.)**

 _kizutsukete_

 **(Cut to Shoutmon's right side, which shows what seems to be his digimon friends lying on the ground, battered, bloody, and possibly dead.)**

 _kizutsuite_

 **(Cut to Shoutmon's eyes, which are closed and crying, but then open up, showing that the eyes are now glowing red.)**

 _kurayami de sakendeta_

 **(Cut to Connor, a confident look on his face, with his hand glowing orange as he extends it out. Dorumon jumps in, and then digivolves into Dorugamon, then digivolves into DoruGreymon, and finally both human and digimon glow a bright orange, and after the shine ends, stands one tall silhouette with a sword.)**

 _ima hikari terasu ano sora no hate e_

 **(Cut to Seina, with her face stern and serious, and extends her glowing pink hand. Hawkmon jumps in, who digivolves into Aquillamon, who then digivoles into Hippogryphmon. Him and Seina then glow bright pink, and as the glowing ends, there stands a tall silhouette with wings.)**

 _kimi no te o tsukande hanasani you ni_

 **(Cut to Adrian and Shoutmon, both with a determined, angry look to them. Adrian extends his hand up in the air, which is glowing red. Shoutmon then digivolves to SilvShoutmon, then digivoles into OmniShoutmon. Adrian and his partner then glow a bright red, and the glowing end reveals a giant silhouette.)**

 _FLY AWAY!_

 _(mukaikaze datte dekai kabe datte_

 _oikaze matotte mezasu basho e)_

 **(Close up of the silhouette as it raises what seems to be a sword. Cuts back to the first shot, and the figure slashes. Cut to Adrian and Shoutmon, talking and laughing on top of the roof of his house, watching the sunset.)**

 _Boku ga soba ni iru kara_

 **Created by: Russell the Dragon**

 **...**

 **Episode 3: Partnership?! Adrian learns the truth!**

 _ **[September 6, 2016.]**_

 _ **[Woodland Rivers, United States]**_

 _ **[4:00 PM]**_

I opened my eyes, and found myself laying in my room, on my bed, staring at the blank, white wall with the ceiling light/fan again. With a gigantic headache.

I sat up and rubbed my head. _Ah, fuck, what happened?_ I wonder. All I remember was my computer going crazy and then an electric shock to my hand.

And my head is killing me, too, not to mention.

My vision started blurring so much, everything looked like I was looking through a fogged up window during the winter time. I went to the bathroom to wash my face, and looked at myself in the mirror.

I was still me, so no body switching shenanigans are going on, which was my initial though, at first. No bruises, cuts or scars, either, so I wasn't in an accident, or some fist fight.. But I can't help but wonder what happened. Wait, what time was it, anyway? I raised my left wrist to look at my black digital watch.

Exactly four o'clock.

 _Why was I out for almost an hour and a half, then?_ I returned to my room and got my answer.]

And that answer was in the form of the red dinosaur (Shoutmon, I think his name was) sleeping on the side of my bed, arms crossed.

 _Okay, now I remember. That son of a bitch electrocuted me. And he claimed that we were "partners." What is he talking about? No, what even IS this guy?_

As he slept, I observed him, as creepy as that sounds. I just had to many questions for this guy. For example, what species is he? Surely no species of dinosaur, as I've never seen a picture of a dinosaur that looked like it was made of metal.

And it was able to speak, as well! Unless dinosaurs spoke english before they went extinct, I don't think this guy is a full dinosaur.

At first, I was thinking about just shaking him awake A, because I wanted some answers from him, and B, because he electrocuted me, and this was a way that I could get him back. But for some reason, I didn't. The guy seemed... calm, sleeping like that. If I was that calm when asleep, I sure as hell wouldn't want to be woken up.

It didn't matter, anyways, as he woke up slowly, but naturally. I saw his eyes open, which were big and green. He stood up, and slowly turned to the door, where I was standing.

"Oh, good," he said with a smile. "You're awake."

"Yeah..." I said, softly. "Yeah, I am." I walked over to the bed and sat down on it. "No thanks to you, as you knocked me out to begin with, you little piece of shit."

Shoutmon rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Hehe, sorry about that. It was the only way."

"The only way to put me out for an hour? To kill me?"

"No... to give you Chrono."

That almost made me do a double-take. Chrono? What the hell is Chrono?

"You have a crap ton of explaining to do, you little..." Oh yeah, I don't know what this guy is. "Little..."

He could read the confusion on my face as easily as reading a billboard sign. "Digimon," he said.

"And a Digimon is what, exactly?"

"Digital monster."

A digital monster? Okay, at this point, I realized that something huge is going on.

"Start from the very beginning, please," I asked Shoutmon.

"Definitely," he agreed, "but first, I need to know your name."

"Adrian. Adrian Boriker."

"Nice to finally be introduced to you, Adrian. Now, where to begin..."

He told me everything; about the digital world and its creation, and how digimon were eventually popping up and taking residence in this world.

"And what exactly is Chrono?" I asked after he finished explaining the digital world.

"Chrono is short of 'Chronotic Energy,'" Shoutmon answered. "It's an essence that ties our world together, an essence that makes the digital world possible. And some digimon, like myself, have the ability to harness and manipulate Chrono to our will, and do some pretty incredible things, I must say."

I looked at my hand, which still hurt from earlier. "And you gave... me this power? But why?" I don't think I was expecting the answer he gave me. In more ways than one.

"The digital world is fucked."

As soon as he said that, I looked up in surprise, fear, and shock as he said the word "fucked." What I asked next, I don't really think I wanted to know.

"...what do you mean by that?"

"The original digital world is nearly dead," Shoutmon nearly yelled, and I saw his eyes squint a noticable amount as he said that. "A year ago, there was this monster, known as 'Zsalm.' He just appeared one day, during our most important holiday, and... and..." Shoutmon was on the verge of tears. "...and he destroyed everything." He then looked away from me, and I saw tears hitting the carpet of my bedroom floor.

I honestly did not know how to react to this. So I probably did the most generic thing anyone could have done: "I.. I'm sorry."

"YOU ARE NOT FUCKING SORRY," Shoutmon snapped, with extreme anger in his eyes, his voice literally shouting now. "HOW CAN YOU BE SORRY ABOUT SOMETHING YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT ABOUT, HUH?! YOU DON'T KNOW... YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT ZSALM DID! HE DESTROYED EVERYTHING, HE KILLED EVERYONE, HE FORCED OTHERS TO HELP HIM, HE TOOK AWAY MY ONLY FAMILY, AND ALL YOU CAN FUCKING SAY IS THAT YOU'RE SORRY?! SORRY?!"

I felt like the biggest douchebag on the planet after hearing this. I just sat there, not saying anything, because of this. 'Zslam' really had an effect on his world, if he's this upset about it. After a few minutes of silence, Shoutmon finally starting speaking again.

"I'm a member of an extremely important guild in our world: Chrono-League. And our job is to protect the digimon of our world. And right now, our most important job is defeating Zsalm." He turned to me. "And that's why I'm here. You see, we discovered that if humans can get Chrono as well, they can use it to increase our Chrono, to give us stronger forms." He then held out his right hand. It glew red, and there seemed to be lines forming on it. "Look at your hand."

I did as he was told, and saw that my hand was glowing in the same fashion as Shoutmon's. I held it up in front of my face, unbelievably shocked at what was happening.

"I knew it," he said. "We're officially partners now."

"No," I said as I got up. "No, we are not." I walked towards my TV. "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to find someone else. I can't be your partner." I started to leave the room, but Shoutmon stopped me.

"There's no choice involved in this, you know. We are partners, and-"

"I don't even know you," I interrupted. "You barge into my room, electrocute me, then tell me I need to help you defeat some monster that will kill anything it can? I'm only sixteen years old, I just can't help you do this."

"You have to!"

"No I do not. You can find someone else just as easily."

"We've already bonded-"

"Then undo the 'bond.'"

"I'm sorry, it can't be done."

"Well, then I guess you're shit outta luck, because I'm not risking my life to protect some digital world.

"Like I said, you have no choice, you have Chrono now, and together, we can defeat him!"

I paused for a moment, and said: "If this Zsalm thing is all you make him out to be, do you really believe that it can be stopped?" After a few seconds without a response, I asked again. "Do you?"

"Well..."

I didn't even let him finish. "Look, I've got friends and family who would go ballistic if I helped you and ended up dead. I just can't do that to them. I've been through the pain of losing a friend and a family member before. I'm sorry, but I just can't help you."

Shoutmon gave me one more angry glare, and sat on my bed, looking down. "I never thought the one I chose to be my partner would be so selfish..."

 **...**

 _ **[7:30 PM]**_

I was sitting in my room, watching TV, still trying to process what is happening. Shoutmon is still sulking on my bed. I decided to try and be friends with him. I sure as hell wasn't going to HELP him, but nothing wrong with be friends, right?

"Sooo... what do you like to do?" I asked Shoutmon. No response. "Look, I know you're pissed and everything, but you have to understand why I think helping you is a stupid idea. I will be friends, if you like, but I just-"

"Friends..." Shoutmon suddenly said. "That's something we can't be. We're either partners or adversaries, Adrian."

"What's wrong with being friends?" I asked. "Are you against the idea, or something?"

"I'm not against having friends, Adrian. I have plenty of them. But we can't be friends because I put my trust in you to be my partner. To help me save my world. And you betrayed that trust."

"How many times do I need to tell you that if I DID help you, we'd both surely get killed?"

"At least we'd be dying for a good cause. Something you're unwilling to do, apparently. Really says something about who you are."

I had to process what he said. Is it true? Is he saying that I was a coward? That I would do anything just to stay alive, even if it meant dicking over others in the end? It can't be. I mean, I still don't really believe what he's even saying. A digital world? Sounds like something a lame children's TV show from some company in Japan would come up with.

But, look at him... I hurt him so badly. There really is no one else who can help him with this. I had no idea what to do. Do I actually help him? Become his partner? This whole situation was really messing with my brain. It was all just so much to process, in a short amount of time.

My thought bubble was bursted with a sudden knock on my door. "Adrian!" I heard my dad call, "we brought pizza home!"

"Be right there!" I called out. As I got up to go get some pizza, I looked over at Shoutmon. He was still sitting on my bed in a state of depression, but still, he must be starving. I walked up to him. "Hey, Shoutmon, want me to bring you back some pizza?"

"No, I'm good," Shoutmon told me without even looking up.

"Are you sure? You have to be hungry, right?" His head suddenly jerked up at me, and his eyes... man, his eyes were freaky.

"I SAID I'M GOOD."

I stared at him for a good five seconds. "You know, I was actually thinking of helping you. But if you can't treat me like a partner, then maybe I won't be yours." I then left the room, and went to the kitchen.

The pizza Mom and Dad got was a delivery pizza, and my favorite toppings to: nothing but pepperoni and sausage. I grabbed two slices, put them on a paper plate, then went to the living room, and sat on our gray, knit couch that was in front of the giant window at the front of our house, and watched our smart TV with Mom and Dad, both of whom had just got off work.

Just as I was finishing up my first slice of pizza, I looked out into the kitchen, and saw something I wasn't expecting to see during dinner.

It was Shoutmon, with some red light around him, quickly eating a slice of pizza with sheer happiness and joy on his face. Something that I felt was there all along, but wasn't really shown until now. Shoutmon even seemed to get happier and happier every time he chewed.

I smiled and took a bite out of my second slice of pizza.

A couple hours later, I was getting ready for bed. I had already taken off my clothes and was wearing nothing but boxers and a nighttime T-Shirt, and was about to go to sleep when I remembered what I wanted to tell Shoutmon.

I had thought long and hard about the problem Shoutmon has, and how I was the only one who could help him with it. And you know what? Life is already mundane, so what the hell?

Besides, he looked really affected by my refusal to his offer. I wanted to see what Shoutmon was really like.

"Hey, Shoutmon?" I called him, as he was still sulking at the end of my bed.

He looked up. "Yes, Adrian?"

"I'm in."

His face lit up. "What did you say?"

"I'm in. I apologize for refusing before, but if what you say is true, and that is a HUGE if, then I'll do whatever I can to save your world."

I was pretty sure I did the right thing when I saw Shoutmon's smile slowly come back. "Well, then, it looks like we're now officially partners."

"Yes, it does, Shoutmon," I looked at my hand as it started to glow red again. "Yes it does..."

 **...**

 _ **[September 7th, 2016]**_

 _ **[6:25 AM]**_

 _BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

That was the sound I was greeted to the next morning. I slowly opened my eyes, and turned around to turn the alarm off my phone.

 _Waking up is so hard,_ I thought as I got out of bed. I walked a few steps before tripping over something, and falling face-flat on the ground.

"Hey, watch it!" a voice yelled, which I immediately recognized as Shoutmon.

 _Oh, so that wasn't a dream,_ I bitterly thought as I got back up.

At first, my morning routine went normally. I went to the bathroom, took a shower, brushed my teeth, flossed, and shaved. I then went over to my bedroom, and saw that my choice of clothing for the day had already been decided by yours truly, Shoutmon, all placed onto my well-made bed, which I assumed he did, as well.

And he basically wanted me to wear the same things I wore yesterday. I laughed so hard at this.

"You know nothing about humans, do you?" I asked him, still trying to hold in my laughter.

"Huh?" he asked next, and his general confusion made me laugh even harder.

"Humans tend to wear different clothes everyday," I explained, picking up my outfit from yesterday, and threw it into my laundry bin. I then searched my drawers for something more... clean: A black long sleeve shirt with blue stripes, jean shorts, and white socks.

"How do I look?" I asked Shoutmon.

"I couldn't really say," he responded with his 'feedback.' "I don't get clothes."

I went to the kitchen and grabbed a granola bar for my breakfast, as my watch said it was almost seven o'clock. I grabbed my backpack, and was about to put on my goggles, when I heard Shoutmon say this:

"Can you take me to this 'school' place today?"

I nearly fell over when I heard him say that. It must have been the most random, and the most stupid, thing I've heard him say yet... and as you know, that is saying A LOT.

"Yeah, sure," I sarcastically replied. "Let's bring a red digimon to my high school, and then explain to everyone what you are, and basically cause a panic. Let's do that, that sounds fun." And I am not sure what I said, but he must've laughed as hard as I did when he layed out clothes for me.

"No one's going to be able to see me, silly," he told me.

"Are you going to hide, or something, then?"

"Even better..." Shoutmon's hand glew red, then suddenly his whole body started to glow red.

"Yeah, no one's going to be able to see that," I, once again, sarcastically replied.

"You only see the effect because you have Chrono. Anyone who doesn't will pretty much think you're talking to your imaginary friend instead. So, you might want to be careful where we talk."

I shook my head, just believing it for the sake of wanting to get to the bus on time, and began to head out the door, with Shoutmon, of course, following me.

"See you, Mom," I called out as I opened the front door.

"Bye, honey," I heard her call out from the basement. "Have a good day at school!"

She wouldn't be saying that if she knew what was going to happen...


	4. Episode 4: Evil Arrives!

_Wow, already on the fourth chapter of Chrono! With a total of almost 70 views, across all three chapters! But I know that one day, this story will be one of the greats! And now, ONTO THE CHAPTER!_

 _Also, I recognize that Chapter 3 ended a bit abruptly, but Chapter 4 will be action-packed, for sure!_

(DISCLAIMER: I do **NOT** own the Digimon franchise, the digimon featured in this story, or the lyrics to the songs I use so you can go on YouTube to listen to them. All I own are the human characters, and the concept of "Chronotic Energy."

 **Last time, on Digimon: Chrono!**

Things got a little... messy last time, when Adrian woke up.

Shoutmon had apparently chosen Adrian to be his human partner in the digital world's fight against the evil entity, Zsalm.

But Adrian wasn't too hot on the idea, mostly because of not believing Shoutmon at all, and partly because if he was right, they could all end up dead.

Needless to say, Adrian's refusal didn't sit so well with Shoutmon, and he pretty much shut down emotionally.

But after some thinking, Adrian decides to accept Shoutmon's offer after all, even if he still doesn't whole-heartedly believe Shoutmon yet.

And now he's bringing Shoutmon to school with him! Is this a good idea? Find out now, on Digimon: Chrono!

 **...**

 **(Music starts playing as the camera pans across the green plains. Zooms up and sees two silhouettes on top of a hill; one short and one tall.)**

 **(The camera then cuts to the two silhouettes, revealing them to be Adrian and Shoutmon, looking at the distance. They then look at each other with a smile, nod, and then turn around. White flashes to the two of them running, with Shoutmon in front of Adrian.)**

 _saa ryoute hiroge ano kumo wo koete_

 **(To their right appears Seina, with her partner, Hawkmon.)**

 _niji no aachi kugutte_

 **(Then to their left appears Connor with his partner, Dorumon.)**

 _mezasu basho e_

 **(Camera flies over Adrian's head and into the sky; title appears.)**

 **"DIGIMON: CHRONO"**

 _FLY AWAY!_

 _(mukaikaze datte dekai kabe datte oikaze matotte mezasu basho e)_

 **(Cuts to the six of them stopping at a hill and looking at the distance. Cut to what they are looking at, which is then revealed that they're looking at their hometown, Woodland River.)**

 _kimi ga soba ni iru kara_

 **(Cuts to Woodland Senior High School. The camera goes through the doors to reveal Jessie, Sheala, and Eric, who are all talking and laughing, then they look at the camera and wave.)**

 _I held you hand cuz you said_

 _"Take you to the shining place from a maze"_

 _kimi wo shinjite_

 **(Cuts to Derek, Jake, Amy, Brady M, Brady G, and Luke talking and laughing with each other, then notice the camera, turn to it, smile and wave.)**

 _tsukanda sono te atatakakute_

 _mitsumeru sono hitomi ni kumori wa nakute_

 **(Cuts to a pink background. Seina and Hawkmon float by, with Seina holding a cyber-staff and pink glowing marks on her left hand. They then float away, with the background turning orange, as well as Connor and Dorumon taking their place, Connor holding a cyber whip, and orange glowing marks on his hand.)**

 _kodoku wo tsumikasaneta omoi ga kareta daichi ni otoshita namida_

 **(Cuts to a small pond in the forest. Two silhoettes are standing at the edge of the pond. Again, one shorter than the other.)**

 _hitotsubu no shizuku ga hirogatte_

 **(Cuts to a close up of Iki and his partner, Gabumon, who has a worried look on his face. Iki then turns his head in the opposite direction with a serious look on his face.)**

 _iro toridori no hana wo sakashiteku_

 **(Cut to a ruined city, with many Digimon either destroying things or lying on the ground. A giant figure is shooting off a purple energy beam, destroying everything the beam touches.)**

 _tsuyogari no naifu wo furimawashite_

 **(Cut to Shoutmon's left side, which shows his hometown in the digital world in flames.)**

 _kizutsukete_

 **(Cut to Shoutmon's right side, which shows what seems to be his digimon friends lying on the ground, battered, bloody, and possibly dead.)**

 _kizutsuite_

 **(Cut to Shoutmon's eyes, which are closed and crying, but then open up, showing that the eyes are now glowing red.)**

 _kurayami de sakendeta_

 **(Cut to Connor, a confident look on his face, with his hand glowing orange as he extends it out. Dorumon jumps in, and then digivolves into Dorugamon, then digivolves into DoruGreymon, and finally both human and digimon glow a bright orange, and after the shine ends, stands one tall silhouette with a sword.)**

 _ima hikari terasu ano sora no hate e_

 **(Cut to Seina, with her face stern and serious, and extends her glowing pink hand. Hawkmon jumps in, who digivolves into Aquillamon, who then digivoles into Hippogryphmon. Him and Seina then glow bright pink, and as the glowing ends, there stands a tall silhouette with wings.)**

 _kimi no te o tsukande hanasani you ni_

 **(Cut to Adrian and Shoutmon, both with a determined, angry look to them. Adrian extends his hand up in the air, which is glowing red. Shoutmon then digivolves to SilvShoutmon, then digivoles into OmniShoutmon. Adrian and his partner then glow a bright red, and the glowing end reveals a giant silhouette.)**

 _FLY AWAY!_

 _(mukaikaze datte dekai kabe datte_

 _oikaze matotte mezasu basho e)_

 **(Close up of the silhouette as it raises what seems to be a sword. Cuts back to the first shot, and the figure slashes. Cut to Adrian and Shoutmon, talking and laughing on top of the roof of his house, watching the sunset.)**

 _Boku ga soba ni iru kara_

 **Created by: Russell the Dragon**

 **...**

 **Episode 4: Evil Arrives!**

"Why did I think bringing him was a good idea?" I asked myself as I looked to my left and saw Shoutmon, humming some song to himself.

I had just agreed to help Shoutmon in this battle he has in his world, but I did NOT agree to bring him to my bus stop so he could come to high school with me.

He claims his "Chrono" powers will make it so that only me and others who happen to have Chrono will be able to see him, but I doubt that. Judging by his story, everyone in the digital world must have Chrono, so that ability should be completely, utterly useless, right?

Honestly, the only reason I'm going through with this whole crazy situation is because I kind of like Shoutmon, and I'd like to be his friend. He seems really cool.

"Look," I told Shoutmon as we waited for the bus, "you can come to school with me, but what I say, goes. No talking to the other students, and you stick by my side the whole time. You got that?"

"Yes, yes I do 'got that,'" Shoutmon snarkingly replied.

He's going to get me into trouble today, isn't he? I can just imagine it now: my entire school, up in flames because Shoutmon did something stupid somewhere. Maybe he wanted to play with the chemicals in Chemistry class, and accidentally spills something, causing a huge explosion. Maybe he gets hungry, and goes into the kitchen and burns something, most likely causing a huge explosion. Hell, maybe he'll shoot fire from his hands, who knows at this point?

"I'm serious about this, Shoutmon," I warned him, looking at his eyes with a cold, hard stare. "If you embarrass me, get me in trouble, or some weird combination of the two, then our partnership is off. I will not help you defeat Zsalm, and we will not be partners. Got it now?"

Man, that really got Shoutmon. His face suddenly twisted with horror, and then he stood straight up like a military soldier, arms to the side and everything. "Yes, sir!" he yelled. I couldn't help but giggle at this behavior.

Suddenly, I saw Rick come out out his house and walk towards us. I freaked out, at first, because I thought Shoutmon's "disguise" was a load of shit. But, to my surprise, Rick walked up and didn't even look at where Shoutmon was standing, nor did he mention him at all.

"Hey, Adrian," he started talking. "Still having troubles with your computer?"

"No, no, it's all good now," I replied.

"Huh. Alright, then." Obviously, I decided to leave out the part of all my tech glitching out and having a monster jump out of it and give me a super power. Because it just made TOO much sense.

The bus came, we sat down, yada yada yada, predictable stuff, only this time, Shoutmon sat next to me for once.

"Look," I explained as the bus took off. "I'm gonna have to put this on top of you," I then proceeded to put my backpack on top of Shoutmon. "People will ask to sit by me if they think they see and empty spot, and I'm not allowed to say no." He responded with choking and gasping noises, as if the backpack was somehow sufficating him, even though there was practically nothing in it. Such a drama queen. I drowned out those fake desperate gasps of air by putting on my earphones and listening to some songs on my phone.

We got to the high school by 7:38, and I had to be extra careful of getting off the bus today. Shoutmon may be invisible to everyone else, but his tail can still be stepped on. We ended up being the last ones off, and I rushed to my locker. Of course, with him following after.

I just kept telling myself that this was an absolutely terrible idea. First of all, the classes were long, and Shoutmon seemed like the type to get easily bored. Second, the other kids are not all great. They all swear, wear inappropriate clothing, and some of these kids even take drugs. Third, THERE'S A FREAKING MONSTER AT MY SCHOOL. I'm sorry if I'm being redundant, but you have to understand how stupid an idea this was!

Anyways, we went straight for the cafeteria after entering the building, and as usual, saw what looked like thousands of kids, getting together and hanging out. Something I never really did.

"Wow..." Shoutmon stated. "So many humans..."

"What?" I asked. Forgot to mention that everyone was talking over each other.

"I said," Shoutmon replied, louder this time. "so many humans!"

"What?" I asked again. I heard him before, but I just wanted to have some fun.

"I SAID," Shoutmon yelled at the top of his lungs this time, "SO MANY HUMANS!"

Guess what I said next?

"What?"

"Fuck it, I give up," Shoutmon pouted, crossing his arms.

"Hey," I gave him a light tap on his shoulder with a grin, "don't fucking swear."

"Hardy har har," he said back in a deadpan tone.

"Excuse me?" I suddenly heard a female voice say, one that I didn't recognize. I turned around to see a face I didn't recognize, either.

She was obviously new here. She was japanese, and had black hair, but it was also dyed in pink and white stripes, it was very hard to explain. She wore a tan dress, with a brown belt and pink short sleeves. She also wore black leggings and boots.

"Yes?" I responded, expecting her to ask where some classroom is.

"Who are you talking to?"

 _Shit._

"Uhhhh..." I could feel the sweat dripping from my face already. "Uhhh, just myself! Hehehe..." I scratched the back of my head.

The japanese girl squinted her eyes, like she knew I was lying. And I swear, for a split second, her silver eyes moved towards where Shoutmon was standing. Did she know?

"Alright, then..." she finally said. "Well, I guess I'll see you in class, if we have one together, that is..." She then walked off.

"Hey, wait," I called after her. "What's your name?"

The girl turned her head back to me, with a smile on her lips. "Seina." She turned around and walked off.

"You got a crush now, hmmm?" Shoutmon smuggingly asked. I did the mature thing after he said that and stepped on his foot. I then laughed at the sight of him hopping up and down on one foot. Hey, call me a dick all you want, if you saw that, you'd laugh, too. Besides, I didn't even hurt him, nor was I trying to. I'm a good guy, at heart.

Suddenly, I heard Shoutmon gasp.

"What, what is it?!" I turned around to where Shoutmon was looking, but saw absolutely nothing.

"I saw one," Shoutmon said.

"One what?"

"A Digimon."

"Where?" I turned my head and looked everywhere, but I didn't see any other non-human life besides Shoutmon. "I'm not in the mood for your games, Shoutmon. Come on, let's get to first hour." I started to walk away, but Shoutmon grabbed me by the pant leg.

"This isn't a game, I saw one!" Shoutmon insisted. "There's a high possibility that another Chrono-League member is here, and all partnered up with a human. We need to find them!"

"All right, all right," I gave in. "How are we going to find these two, exactly, then?" The bell rang at the moment I stopped talking, meaning I... sorry, WE... had to get to class. "C'mon," I called for Shoutmon as I started running to my first hour.

 _Dear God, please don't do anything, Shoutmon..._

 **...**

 **[12:20 PM]**

I'll admit... things didn't go bad. Like, at all. In fact, somehow Shoutmon made school more interesting, which isn't what I usually viewed school as.

First, there was choir class. Shoutmon was a REALLY good singer. Like, INCREDIBLY good. He managed to even liven up everyone else's singing, even if I was the only one who could hear him. He just had a way of making a party out of everything.

Not only that, but he was actually pretty smart, too. Physics wasn't my favorite class by any means, but somehow, Shoutmon knew how to do the material we were taught, and he even helped ME with a few tough things in the worksheet the teacher had given us. He may act dumb usually, but he sure as hell isn't. He wasn't a genius, either, as he even had trouble explaining what you were supposed to do.

Of course, he fell asleep during literature. I guess reading books isn't his thing. He took one look at the book we were reading, and immediately passed out for the rest of the class. With his tongue out the whole time, because why not. He'll probably never do that again... shoes really do hurt the tongue a lot.

And man, can this digimon eat! I wasn't really feeling all that hungry today, so I took a couple bites of the chicken sandwich they served today (which are really gross; today there was a ligement in the chicken) and gave Shoutmon the rest where no one could see us. He pretty much tilted the tray towards his mouth and ate everything at once. If he keeps this up, I'll be the one who's always hungry. Because he won't let me eat anything.

There is a thing that annoys me about Shoutmon, though; he sings. Like, when he's normally supposed to be talking, he sings his words instead. The first time he started doing it was in Physics, when he started singing how to find the slope to a graph. I give him props for coming up with catchy tunes, but this is real life; not a musical. And his singing makes me want to join in on the singing as well.

Sadly, History wasn't any better. History was easily my least favorite class, for multiple reasons:

1) The teacher didn't even seem interested in the subjects himself.

2) The teacher showed us an example of what his tests will be like. He expects us to memorize the most absurd facts about the unit.

3) I don't really care about anything the teacher is talking about.

After what seemed like hours of listening to a lecture about the Stone ages, with the teacher himself sounding bored, I had to get out of there. Luckily, I had a bit too much to drink back during lunch, and I had to go. Like, GO, go. In our school, if you had to go to the bathroom, you don't ask the teacher; you just head down there. So I did.

And of course, Shoutmon followed, even though I thought he fell asleep during the class.

"Where are you going?" he called to me.

"To the bathroom! Stay there!" I yelled as I ran to the nearest bathroom, which was thankfully, a few seconds away.

You know the drill, if you're a male, at least. So, I did my business at a urinal, and zipped my pants back up. I turned around to go wash my hands, and-

"What were you doing, Adrian?" Shoutmon suddenly asked, and I responded by kicking him up to the ceiling... no, literally. That's how high he went. And he came down with a giant THUD.

"You don't just sneak up on someone like that when they're going pee!" I yelled at him, going red from anger. What the fuck was this guy's problem?! Man, he was starting to get on my nerves! Of course, I wasn't prepared for his response.

"What does going pee mean?"

 _Wait, what?_

He... he... he doesn't know what peeing means? No, no that can't be right... maybe digimon call it something different, right? Right?

"Uh, peeing," I explained as... clean as I possibly could, "is when you have too much to drink, and it all needs to come out in a different form."

"Huh," Shoutmon said, rubbing his chin. "Never heard of anything like that before." And this caused me to fall onto the dirty ground that was most likely peed on earlier. These digimon things seriously don't need to pee? Poop? Any of that? That makes me wonder what happens to the food they eat, then...

Oh, god, I don't really want to think about that, on second thought. I quickly washed my hands, and went back out to the carpeted hallway to go back to class. As I passed the main door, I bumped into someone.

It was Jessie.

"Hey, Jessie," I said with a smile. Today, she looked REALLY cute: Jessie was wearing a blue video game shirt, black leggings, and black leather sneakers.

"Hey, Aidan!" Jessie said back with a smile. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothin'. Just going back to class." I was rudely interrupted from my conversation by Shoutmon tapping me on the leg.

"Hey, who's this?" he asked. "Is SHE your crush?"

"Shut up," I whispered down at Shoutmon, which of course made Jessie suspicious.

"Huh?"

"Oh, nothing!" I quickly said as I immediately looked up. "Nothing at all."

"You know, you've been acting weird all day. Is something wrong?"

I shook my head. "Like I said, nothing at all."

"I know when something is up with you. I always have. I just... I wish you'd tell me what's going on. I thought we were friends, Adrian."

"B-but we are! I swear, I-"

"Then why?! Why do you always act like you know what's best for anyone?"

"Because I know how bad reality can bite. I know what this world's true intentions are. And they are to do whatever you can to put you down, to make you give up."

She gave a fake laugh. "You? You think you understand how reality works? Do you honestly think that our world exists just to put us down?"

"Yes, that is in fact what I believe."

She shook her head. "I still remember first grade. When you were the happiest kid in the world. What the hell happened to you, Adrian? What made you turn into this?"

I was about to tell her the whole story again, when I looked out the glass main doors and saw something being hurled towards them.

It was a car.

"GET DOWN!" I yelled as I suddenly felt a rush of energy through my body as I pushed Jessie out of the way of the flying car, which busted through the glass doors, and hit the wall that was behind us.

We both got up and turned to look at the wreckage. The car was an average joe car, silver in color.

"What the... what the fuck happened?!" Jessie screamed. There was suddenly a loud roar that nearly deafened us. "And was was that?!"

"Come on, Adrian, we have to go see what that was," Shoutmon told me as he ran out the whole where the main doors of the school used to be, with me and Jessie following suit. It didn't take long for the rest of the school to notice what was going on.

As soon as we went outside, we were treated to the site of what looked like a giant orange dinosaur with blue stripes, wearing a mask over its eyes. It had a weird purple mist surronding him as well. The sky started to form that same mist, as well.

I saw what looked like a crap ton of cop cars coming over to the school. A few got out of their cars, and started going towards the students and teachers to get them away from here, which me and Shoutmon hid from. The others got out their guns like it'd make a difference. I'm not going to go into details about their fates, but... well, let's just say they turned into human pancakes. Very bloody human pancakes.

"No... no, no, no, no, this can't be happening," Shoutmon said with absolute fear in his voice. "This absolutely cannot be happening!"

"What shouldn't be happening?" I asked him, with my voice raising slightly, with both anger and fear.

"It's Zsalm... I have no idea how, but he must have figured out how to transfer his corrupted followers into the real world."

"What?!" The conversation was cut short as another car came flying by me. "What even is that thing anyway?!"

"Greymon," Shoutmon explained, intelligently. "the dinosaur Digimon, and a very big one at that. His attacks could decimate and entire town."

"I don't like the sound of that..." I turned around and saw a third airborn car, which was about to land on me.

 _Shitshitshitshitshitshitshit!_ was going through my mind at the time. Shoutmon, however, actually jumped in front of the car and managed to hit it back! By the time he landed on the ground, I had noticed that he was now holding what looked like... a microphone?

"You want some? Come and get it, Zsalm-breath!" Shoutmon's legs then started to glow red as he started to run, then jumped so high he was able to reach the Greymon's head.

 **"ROCK AND ROLLER!"** Shoutmon swung his microphone as hard as he could at the Greymon's skull, definitely causing some damage, but not enough to knock it over. Shoutmon slided backwards towards me, and I saw his hand glow an orange-yellow color now.

 **"FIERY FASTBALL!"** Shoutmon then threw a giant musical note shaped fireball at Greymon's eye, which of course burnt it, but again, not enough to really damage it in any way.

"At this rate, we'll never defeat this thing," Shoutmon stated in between large breaths. Then he quickly turned to me.

"I have an idea," Shoutmon said. "You can use Chronotic Transfer to help me Chronovolve!"

"All I understood from that was the word "Chrono," I told him, "which, do you name everything after that?"

Shoutmon growled in frustration at my not understanding how Chrono works. "It's simple; just raise your arm up and channel your Chrono through your hand. Then aim your palm at me and yell the words 'Chronotic Transfer.' That's all you have to do." The Greymon suddenly roared and hurled not a car, but a dump truck at us, which thankfully was thrown too high and missed us. "Hurry!"

"You haven't taught me how to do this yet," I yelled at my _partner._ "How the hell do I make my arm do the glowy thing like you?!"

"Just take a deep breath. Focus all your energy into your arm. Don't try to rush it, like I used to. It will work. Trust me."

Well, that sure was vague as hell.

Seeing the Greymon kill other humans and destroy my high school (on the second day of the year as well) was all the motivation and reason I needed to trust Shoutmon.

I closed my eyes, and let go of all my thoughts. I focued on my right hand. And suddenly, I felt something. It was a tingly sensation, as if my hands was trying to wake up. I opened my eyes and looked at it. I saw red technology marks running down my hand, all glowing red, with digital particles surrounding it.

I looked at Greymon, then at the destruction, and then finally, at Shoutmon. I raised my hand and pointed it at him.

 **"CHRONOTIC TRANSFER!"** And I couldn't help but saying the next phrase, as well:

 _ **"GO, CHRONO!"**_

Suddenly, a red ball of energy shot out of my hand and hit Shoutmon directly. But it didn't hurt him; it actually did the exact opposite. I watched as Shoutmon's entire body began to change; the stand of his microphone grew a blade, Shoutmon's arms and legs got longer, and silver armor plates started to form on them. The spikes on his head turned silver as well.

 **"Shoutmon, Chronovovle to..."**

Finally, the glowing stopped, and there no longer stood Shoutmon. He was now...

"SilvShoutmon!" The new creature yelled out with extreme confidence. I just stared at him with awe and fear.

"What?" He looked down at me. I swear, he was almost as tall as that Greymon now. "Don't like the new duds?"

"DUDS?" I yelled in astonishment. "YOUR WHOLE BODY CHANGED!"

"That's the power of Chronovolution, Adrian!" SilvShoutmon said with a smile before the Greymon roared again, now starting to destroy the neighboring junior high. "Come on, let's go!" He grabbed me and started to fly... no, he really did fly... over to Greymon.

"WHOA WHOA WHOA!" I screamed, trying to struggle free. "Why the hell am I coming along?!"

"Just because I Chronovolved doesn't mean you can't help out," SilvShoutmon explained to me. "You can use your Chrono to summon weapons as well. Just do the same thing I told you before, except this time use it to summon a weapon."

"Oh, yeah, because a human like me can TOTALLY stand a chance against a dinosaur," I sarcastically yelled as we landed. SilvShoutmon put me down and smiled.

"You aren't just a human anymore." And then he left to go fight the big monster, while I stood there trying to process what he meant.

 _Not just a human? What does that mean?_ Look, I admit it. I'm just some teenager. I play video games, I like to watch movies, and I don't like doing homework. I'm no soccer player, or kendou master, or even a fighter, really. I'm just... me. Adrian Boriker; normal teenager, through-and-through.

Yet, this whole thing with the digital world, Shoutmon, the Greymon that appeared in my town, it's giving me a chance. A chance to become someone... special. A chance to be a hero.

The question is... will I take that chance?

And the answer is a definite "yes." I did as SilvShoutmon said; calmed myself, and focused on my hand, which glew red, like before. I don't know how, but I actually managed to summon a sword with it, which looked like a light saber, sort of. I tightened the grip of the weapon and looked at the battle between two "champions," and charged at Greymon.

Man, if this wasn't on some football field, it might've been a lot cooler. At least no one's getting hurt.

I focused my energy to my legs, and they started to glow red, as well.

"You come to my town," I said to particularly no one as I ran, "you nearly kill me and my friend. You destroy my school..." I used the energy in my legs to jump high. "And now you're going to pay." I raised the sword up high, and fell right towards the digimon's head.

 **"CHRONO-SLASH!"** I yelled as I swung the blade at Greymon, and actually made a pretty good gash on its cheek before landing.

"Nice!" SilvShoutmon called to me as he slashed Greymon again, causing another gash on its other cheek. This success wouldn't last long, though, as Greymon launced a fireball at SilvShoutmon, knocking him out of the sky.

"This isn't going to work," I said to myself. I looked around to see if there was an easier way to take this thing down.

 _Alright, so we're in an open area. Hmmm... I could use Chrono to make some form of rope, if thats possible. I'd need something to fly around on, though. SilvShoutmon probably isn't the best choice, as I can't have someone be holding me if this is going to work._

Then, out of nowhere, I heard something shout **"GLIDE HORN!"** and out of nowhere, a giant bird hits Greymon in the gut, then hovered over the battle.

"What the... hey, Silv!" I pointed up to the sky, at the bird creature. "What kind of digimon is that?"

"That's Aquilamon," SilvShoutmon replied, just after slashing Greymon's leg with his sword. "The Eagle Digimon. It looks like it's on our side!"

Aquilamon was just the thing needed to set my plan into action.

"Hey, Aquilamon, could you maybe give me a little ride?" I called up to the giant flying digimon. And sure enough, Aquilamon came flying down, and landed right in front of me.

 _Alright, here goes nothing,_ I thought as I got on top of Aquilamon. "Okay, Aquilamon, I want you to fly around the legs of Greymon here. I have a plan." Aquilamon nodded, and took off, immediately going circles around its legs.

 _Let's hope Star Wars wasn't full of bullshit._

I turned my sword into a really, REALLY long, glowing rope. As Aquilamon flew around Greymon's legs, more and more of the rope was tying them together. After a few more circles, the rope was fully wrapped.

"Haha!" I cheered as I jumped off Aquilamon. As soon as I landed, I turned towards Greymon. "Let's see you try to move now, bitch."

All three of us stood back. The Greymon attempted to come after me first, but it couldn't, thanks to me. Suddenly, the large digimon lost its balance, and fell over to its side. It couldn't move at all. Greymon was defeated.

"Yes!" I cheered, jumping up and down. "We defeated him! We defeated Greymon!" MAN, was that a RUSH!

"No," SilvShoutmon corrected as he turned back into Shoutmon. "We didn't defeat Greymon; he was a victim in all of this. He had no choice in whether he wanted to hurt others or not. Who we did beat today, though, is Zsalm."

A series of dark purple dots formed rings around Greymon, all of a sudden. My hand started to glow all on its own.

"It's your choice," Shoutmon walked up and told me. "You can either punish him for his deeds by killing him, or forgiving him and getting rid of his corruption."

Well, that choice was easy. I may accept the fact that death happens, but I don't accept actually killing a living thing hands on. I reached my right hand towards Greymon, and all his corruption suddenly shrunk into a tiny ball, which floated to my hand.

"You will be defeated, Zsalm," I silently told myself as I destroyed his corruption with Chrono.

"Thank... you..." Greymon said before he began to disappear. I thought he was dying, at first, but in his place was a weird disc. I walked over to pick it up, and it had a picture of Greymon on it.

"That's an Assist Disc," Shoutmon exclaimed as he snatched it right out of my hands. "If you're in a tough situation, you can call digimon through these discs to help!" I thanked him for this information by slapping him on the back of the head. He dropped the disc, which I picked up and put in my pocket.

"It's not nice to just grab things out of peoples' hands, you know," I deadpanned.

"Owwww..." was all Shoutmon could muster up and say. I turned to Aquilamon.

"Thanks for all your help, Aquilamon. Greymon probably couldn't have been stopped without you."

Aquilamon then started to glow pink, and began to get smaller and smaller, until he was an unrecognizable bird digimon. His feathers were white on his head, black on his wingtips, and brown everywhere else. I also noticed it had brown eyes.

"I appreciate your gratitude, but I'm not the only one to thank, you know," the bird said in some kind of accent, which I assumed was british.

"Really?" I asked, surprised by this. "Who else?"

"That would be me," a familiar voice rang through my ears. I looked up and saw a japanese girl with dyed hair walking towards us.

Seina.

"Seina?" I asked. "You have Chrono, too?"

"I believe I do," she said with a smile. "I didn't say anything before because we were around lots of other people. By the way, limit your chats with your partner around others; people will think you have an imaginary friend, or something." Seina giggled. "Oh, and this is my partner, Hawkmon."

"Very nice to meet you," Hawkmon bowed.

"Okay, okay, no need to get formal," I laughed, holding my hands up. I faced Seina.

"Seina, you know what's happening in the digital world, right?" I asked.

"Of course I do. Hawkmon explained it all to me."

"Well, look... both Hawkmon and Shoutmon are right. Zsalm is serious business. If we don't stop him, he's going to find a way to destroy our world. Our best chance is to team up, find others with partners, build an army. We can't do this on our own." I held up a hand to her. "You in?"

She stared at me for a while, as if she was trying to process what I said to be reality. Eventually, she shook my hand. "We're in."

I learned something that day: This Zsalm is serious. He is not fucking around. No real world army will be able to defeat him, if they can even get close in the first place.

No. The digital world, and Earth, depends on us. Humans with digimon partners, gifted with Chrono. That's the key. The key to defeating Zsalm.

The key to saving our worlds.

Let's just hope we aren't too late.


	5. Episode 5: The Digital Assassin

...what? Why are you not reading the story?

Oh, you're expecting me to say something about how grateful I am, right? Well, I got nothing this time. Just be sure to give me solid reviews on what you think so far. With what I have planned for this story, there'll be more destruction in it than Man of Steel.

(DISCLAIMER: I do **NOT** own the Digimon franchise, the digimon featured in this story, or the lyrics of the songs I use so you can go on YouTube and listen to them. All I own are the humans characters, and the concept of "Chronotic Energy.")

 **Last time, on Digimon: Chrono!**

Adrian and Shoutmon have officially become partners in the war against Zsalm!

But what's this?! Adrian is taking Shoutmon to his high school!

Things go surprisingly well... that is, until Zsalm sent a corrupted Greymon to the real world, and it attacked Adrian's high school.

Adrian used his newly given power to Chronovolve Shoutmon into SilvShoutmon! And thanks to a new pair of partners, Seina and Hawkmon, Greymon has been defeated.

Now the true training begins!

 **...**

 **(Music starts playing as the camera pans across the green plains. Zooms up and sees two silhouettes on top of a hill; one short and one tall.)**

 **(The camera then cuts to the two silhouettes, revealing them to be Adrian and Shoutmon, looking at the distance. They then look at each other with a smile, nod, and then turn around. White flashes to the two of them running, with Shoutmon in front of Adrian.)**

 _saa ryoute hiroge ano kumo wo koete_

 **(To their right appears Seina, with her partner, Hawkmon.)**

 _niji no aachi kugutte_

 **(Then to their left appears Connor with his partner, Dorumon.)**

 _mezasu basho e_

 **(Camera flies over Adrian's head and into the sky; title appears.)**

 **"DIGIMON: CHRONO"**

 _FLY AWAY!_

 _(mukaikaze datte dekai kabe datte oikaze matotte mezasu basho e)_

 **(Cuts to the six of them stopping at a hill and looking at the distance. Cut to what they are looking at, which is then revealed that they're looking at their hometown, Woodland River.)**

 _kimi ga soba ni iru kara_

 **(Cuts to Woodland Senior High School. The camera goes through the doors to reveal Jessie, Sheala, and Eric, who are all talking and laughing, then they look at the camera and wave.)**

 _I held you hand cuz you said_

 _"Take you to the shining place from a maze"_

 _kimi wo shinjite_

 **(Cuts to Derek, Jake, Amy, Brady M, Brady G, and Luke talking and laughing with each other, then notice the camera, turn to it, smile and wave.)**

 _tsukanda sono te atatakakute_

 _mitsumeru sono hitomi ni kumori wa nakute_

 **(Cuts to a pink background. Seina and Hawkmon float by, with Seina holding a cyber-staff and pink glowing marks on her left hand. They then float away, with the background turning orange, as well as Connor and Dorumon taking their place, Connor holding a cyber whip, and orange glowing marks on his hand.)**

 _kodoku wo tsumikasaneta omoi ga kareta daichi ni otoshita namida_

 **(Cuts to a small pond in the forest. Two silhoettes are standing at the edge of the pond. Again, one shorter than the other.)**

 _hitotsubu no shizuku ga hirogatte_

 **(Cuts to a close up of Iki and his partner, Gabumon, who has a worried look on his face. Iki then turns his head in the opposite direction with a serious look on his face.)**

 _iro toridori no hana wo sakashiteku_

 **(Cut to a ruined city, with many Digimon either destroying things or lying on the ground. A giant figure is shooting off a purple energy beam, destroying everything the beam touches.)**

 _tsuyogari no naifu wo furimawashite_

 **(Cut to Shoutmon's left side, which shows his hometown in the digital world in flames.)**

 _kizutsukete_

 **(Cut to Shoutmon's right side, which shows what seems to be his digimon friends lying on the ground, battered, bloody, and possibly dead.)**

 _kizutsuite_

 **(Cut to Shoutmon's eyes, which are closed and crying, but then open up, showing that the eyes are now glowing red.)**

 _kurayami de sakendeta_

 **(Cut to Connor, a confident look on his face, with his hand glowing orange as he extends it out. Dorumon jumps in, and then digivolves into Dorugamon, then digivolves into DoruGreymon, and finally both human and digimon glow a bright orange, and after the shine ends, stands one tall silhouette with a sword.)**

 _ima hikari terasu ano sora no hate e_

 **(Cut to Seina, with her face stern and serious, and extends her glowing pink hand. Hawkmon jumps in, who digivolves into Aquillamon, who then digivoles into Hippogryphmon. Him and Seina then glow bright pink, and as the glowing ends, there stands a tall silhouette with wings.)**

 _kimi no te o tsukande hanasani you ni_

 **(Cut to Adrian and Shoutmon, both with a determined, angry look to them. Adrian extends his hand up in the air, which is glowing red. Shoutmon then digivolves to SilvShoutmon, then digivoles into OmniShoutmon. Adrian and his partner then glow a bright red, and the glowing end reveals a giant silhouette.)**

 _FLY AWAY!_

 _(mukaikaze datte dekai kabe datte_

 _oikaze matotte mezasu basho e)_

 **(Close up of the silhouette as it raises what seems to be a sword. Cuts back to the first shot, and the figure slashes. Cut to Adrian and Shoutmon, talking and laughing on top of the roof of his house, watching the sunset.)**

 _Boku ga soba ni iru kara_

 **Created by: Russell the Dragon**

 **...**

 **EPISODE 5: The Digital Assassin!**

Shoutmon and I got home at around one-thirty that afternoon. Obviously, due to the giant dinosaur attack, the rest of the day was cancelled. And who knows when it'll open up again, really?

Anyways, as soon as I walked through the door, Mom ran up to me and hugged me as hard as she could, squishing my internal organs.

"OH MY GOD, ADRIAN, IT'S OKAY NOW..." Mom said quickly and loudly. "It's okay now, sweetie. It's alright..."

"Mom, I'm okay," I gasped. "Can you please let go of me?"

"Oh, sorry," Mom said as she released me from her grasp. Finally, I was able to breathe!

"At least you can never say she doesn't care about you," Shoutmon told me, in his disguised form.

"The attack is all over the news," Mom was telling me as we walked to the living room to show me what was on the TV.

This thing didn't just attack my school, no... it attacked all of Woodland Rivers. The news showed buildings toppled over, houses on fire, dead bodies on the street.

"I'm here at Woodland Rivers," the news reporter was saying while either scenery of the aftermath, or webcam footage of the actual attack was shown, "a quiet town that got a big surprise a couple of hours ago. It seems that what reports of a giant dinosaur had suddenly appeared, and immediately began to destroy the surrounding areas." The TV then cut to where they interviewed witnesses of this.

The first witness was what looked like a 25-year-old woman, with red-ish hair and wearing a white and light blue striped tank-top. "I was at the Wal-Mart when suddenly I notice everyone running out of the store. I decided to go see what was happening, and before I could get out the front door, I see a giant foot land right outside."

The next witness was an African-American woman wearing a dark blue button-up shirt. "It was just supposed to be a trip to the barber's. My son Tyrone was saying "dino" over and over again while waiting for his turn. At first, I thought he was just pretending, because that's what kids his age usually do. But then I feel the earth start to shake. And when I looked out that window and saw the... the monster, I grabbed Tyrone, and drove as far as I could."

The third, and final witness was a thirty-something year old man, with brown, balding hair, and wearing a grey long-sleeve shirt. "I don't think anyone could have expected what was going to happen. A dinosaur appearing out of nowhere..." he laughs a bit. "Sounds like the kind of thing you'd see in a Godzilla movie."

The TV then cut back to the first news reporter. "Police say they are confident that the unspecified creature has been dealt with, but they still ask that you only go outside if you absolutely must, just as a precaution if another one happens to appear. This is Jordan Monoque, live from Woodland Rivers, back to you, Ryan."

So all of these people suffered as well... I honestly couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Mom shut off the TV after that report ended. She turned to me with great emotion. "I heard it attacked your school. I'm so glad you're safe."

"Yeah, me too..." I said, remembering the events that had happened earlier. Still can't believe Shoutmon, Hawkmon, Seina and I were the ones who took Greymon down. "Can I go to my room now? I want to lie down."

"Of course, baby," Mom smiled. "Just... just do what you have to. I can't imagine how it must've felt for you."

"No, she sure doesn't," I whispered to Shoutmon as I walked to my room. As soon I sat on my bed, Shoutmon spoke up.

"Hey, Adrian?" he asked. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," I replied with a smile. "What's up?"

"Back at the school, that blue-haired girl was saying how you felt about life. Is it true?"

I sighed, and with no way to talk my way out of this, I just told him the truth.

"Yes... yes, it is, Shoutmon."

"B-but why? That can't be... life is a precious thing, and-"

"Well, for the creatures in your world, maybe once." I took a deep break. "Things are different here. People are discriminated because of their race in the real world. Their culture, their religion, their fucking preference of partners. And it's not just that; it's financial issues as well. People who want to be something with their lives, they get nothing more than some crappy apartment in a crime-ridden town. No one truly gets what they want, except all the assholes in the world. When people dream, the world bites them in the ass and leaves them for dead."

"That's a disgusting way to look at life," Shoutmon muttered. "Utterly revolting."

"Well, how do you see existance, then? Huh?"

Shoutmon got up onto the bed with me. "I see life as an opportunity. A chance to be the person you want to be. I see it as a beautiful thing, that upsets me when its robbed of someone prematurely. It's the reason I hate Zsalm more than anything; he took away chances of digimon living a full life back in my world."

"Well, maybe those digimon didn't even have a good life to begin with. Why don't you think about that?"

I couldn't prepare myself for what was about to happen next: Shoutmon got out his mic and hit me in the face with it, which sent me down to the ground.

"HOW... HOW DARE YOU?" He was breathing heavily now. "LIFE IS A BEAUTIFUL THING; WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU JUST DISMISS IT?!"

"BECAUSE THAT'S HOW MY LIFE ALWAYS HAS BEEN!"

Shoutmon let go of his microphone. As it fell, it seemed like the world had gone into slow motion. I could see the mic slowly bounce of the ground by the millisecond.

"It happened when I was eight years old. I was a completely different person, back then; I loved living. I had fun, I had an imagination... I was just being a kid. I had a nice house, loads of friends at school. I mean, you should've seen the first house; what more could you ask after that?

"Then one night, my parents decided to vacation at some casino, so they asked their friend and her son to watch over me and my brother. Me and the friend were watching TV in the living room, and Aaron and her son were playing video games downstairs in the rec room. Suddenly, four men bust into the house... they grabbed us. They tied us up, and dragged us to the basement. The men gagged us, too, so we couldn't scream or anything. They held their guns and threatened to kill us.

"You know how traumatizing that is to an eight year old? Anyways, they left us downstairs, tied up and for dead. When the police finally arrived, we found out all our family's money had been stolen.

"It got worse from there. A few months later, the first of many moves happened. And soon, moving just became a yearly thing, and every time, the house got worse, and worse, and our problems got bigger and bigger. I had to say goodbye to so many friends each time we moved, always hoping that each new house would be better. That hope ended when we started to live in hotels for a couple of years, because that was all we could afford. Mom and Dad kept losing jobs, and I even saw my mother bust into our hotel room and get arrested. And in the end, we just got lucky and got this house. I'm still waiting for the day when we have to move once more. So what now? Are you still going to blame me for feeling this way? I've seen life like this for years now, and believe it or not, it's the way everyone should see life."

Shoutmon was speechless. His jaw was practically on the floor now. He closed his eyes and looked down.

"Life's been hard for me as well..." Shoutmon revealed. "I have a sister... or, should I say, had a sister. She's either corrupted or dead now; her name was Musimon, and she was my only family. I had to see my father hang himself, and we lived on the streets." But then he looked me straight into the eyes and smiled. "But it eventually got better for us; we ended up becoming superstars! And then Zsalm came and took my sister, as well as my life as I knew it, away from me. I know how you feel, Adrian, because I've felt the same way.

"Look... life may bite you in the ass sometimes, but when that happens, all you gotta do is bite back. I'm sorry things turned out the way they did for you, but all you can do now is live for the future."

I wanted to believe him; I truly did. But I knew better.

"This isn't the digital world, Shoutmon," I told him. "This is the REAL world. Things are different here." I then lied down on my bed, and decided to take a nap.

This had been a long day, indeed.

"I'm going to tell you once, and only once, Adrian: that statement is not true."

 **...**

 _ **[Saturday, September 10h, 2016]**_

 _ **[Woodland Forest]**_

 _ **[11:34 AM]**_

"I'M STARVING!" Shoutmon moaned as I biked with him on my back to this place in the forest Seina had texted me, saying this was a perfect spot to train ourselves and our digimon.

Sadly, the way there was less than desirable. I was supposed to meet her there at eleven, and on weekends I like to oversleep, so I ended up waking up at 10:40. And it took me a solid ten minutes to figure out what I was supposed to be doing.

So, we ran out the door as fast as we could, with me grabbing two granola bars, one for each of us. At the time I thought it would be alright, but I forgot one thing that morning: a single granola bar was not enough to fill Shoutmon's seemingly huge stomach.

"I'm sorry, Shoutmon," I said apologetically. "We're in a rush; we can stop somewhere quickly before the training, if you want."

"That's all right," Shoutmon answered. "I'll just eat the lunch your brought."

"Hey, that's my lunch! Don't eat it all!"

"But I'm HUNGRY!"

"Just leave half of it for me, and don't eat any right now. Deal?"

"Deal."

Huh, with how hungry he claimed to be, I was prepared for a bunch of whining. Luckily, I got my wish a few minutes later. Yay me.

"My stomach huuuuurts... I'm so huuuungrrryyy..."

"Aren't you supposed to be an adult, or something? Why are you acting like a fussy little kid who really wants his apple juice?"

"First of all, I'm pretty much the same age as you, in digimon years. Second of all, hunger affects me more than most other living things. And thirdly, I just like to eat."

 _Well, I can tell that much, that's for sure._

"Look, see?" I asked. "We're nearly there. So for a few minutes, just shut up."

"Alright, alright," Shoutmon reassured me. "I'll be quiet." And he was quiet. His stomach, on the other hand, wasn't. Like... at all. "Hehe... I said I'd be quiet, but I guess my stomach says otherwise..." Though it was funny seeing Shoutmon looking embarrassed, so because of that, I didn't say anything.

After what felt like an hour of biking, we finally got to the spot Seina and Hawkmon were supposed to meet us at; it was in an open part of the woods, not so deep in you'll get lost, but open enough for battle. There was only one problem, though:

They weren't there.

"Seina?" I called out. "Hawkmon? You here?"

"Maybe they got bored and left?" Shoutmon shrugged.

"They both know how important training our abilities is; I doubt they'd just up and leave, unless it was to go get lunch."

"Don't say lunch..." Shoutmon moaned, bending over and clutching his stomach as its rumbles were getting super loud. I decided to tease him a bit...

"Lunch lunch lunch lunch lunch lunch lunch lunch lunch!"

I immediately regretted doing that, as the resulting growl of his stomach nearly made me deaf.

"OKAY, OKAY, I'M SORRY!" I yelled over the noise, covering my ears. As soon as it stopped, I uncovered them. "Holy crap, you weren't exaggerating about being hungry."

"Told you," Shoutmon scowled at me as his stomach gave a pretty quiet rumble.

 _Where are they?_ I wondered. _We were the late ones. Why aren't they here, asking why we were so late?_ Suddenly, my thoughts were cut off abruptly as I immediately feel something fly by my face. It was going to fast, so I couldn't see what it was.

"What the..." I started to say before another object flew past, this time getting a good glimpse of what was being thrown: a Chrono dagger.

"SHOUTMON, LOOK OUT!" I immediately called out to him. Thankfully I did; otherwise the other dagger he dodged would have hit him straight in the head, killing him instantly. He summoned his microphone-staff while I summoned my sword.

"Alright," I called out into the air. "We know you're here! Show yourselves!" And as soon as I finished that, a human appeared in front of me.

He was definitely older, I'd say about nineteen or twenty. He had straight silver hair, and was wearing a black vest over a green sleeveless shirt, blue jeans, and black boots. His cold, blue eyes gave me chills. His arm suddenly glows green as a long scythe appeared in his hands, which he began to swing at me.

I blocked all three of his attacks with my sword, before doing a backflip away, which I didn't know how I did that, and it made me feel like a badass.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" I asked this guy.

His cold eyes looked up at me. I swear, he's looking THROUGH me.

"You don't truly know what is going on. You're interfering with my work. Either step back, or die." The weirdo then actually looked past me. "Gabumon, weaken him, but leave the killing part to me."

I turn around to see Shoutmon fighting another creature. It had a grey and blue striped fur coat on, and its weird multi-colored belly pattern stood out on its yellow skin.

"Shoutmon, don't let him beat you!" I yelled as I ran towards the human partner and slashed my sword at him, which of course he blocked with his oversized scythe. We did this a few more times until I stopped.

"We aren't the enemy," I tried to explain. "Zsalm is the enemy! We aren't his followers!"

"You think this is about Zsalm?" the stranger laughed. "No. No, it really isn't." He then tried to attack me again, and actually getting a good hit on me, causing me to fall over. He walked over me and held down his scythe towards my chest.

"I'm Iki," he said. "The Digital Assassin."

"I've heard of him!" Shoutmon yelled while fighting the Gabumon; a fight Shoutmon was clearly losing. "If you want someone dead, he's the one to call. He's very recent, but he has a pretty big reputation."

"So, why do you want to kill us?" I asked.

Iki chuckled. "I don't like to give away the name of my clients." Just as Iki was about to swing his scythe down on me, I rolled out of the way and tripped him.

"You're going to have to tell your client the bad news then, jackass, because you're leaving with clean hands."

Iki got up, and of course, came running after me. Fuck, this guy isn't giving up! We clashed weapons for a while, with the occasional dodge via backflips or frontflips, before looking over at Shoutmon.

He was down for the count. His hunger must've made him weaker. Now Gabumon was just pummeling his face to the ground. I tried to run after him, but the Digital Dick, Iki, stopped me.

"NO!" Iki yelled, pushing me down. "He's my kill!" As he was running, I grabbed his leg so he'd fall over. I got up and started punching him repeatedly.

"STAY. THE. FUCK. AWAY. FROM. US!" I screamed with each punch to his face. Suddenly, the edges of my sight went red. I then saw myself looking down, with claws through my abdomen. The claws then went backwards, and I saw myself fall unconscious.

 _What is happening!?_

My vision suddenly went to normal, and as if it was instinct, I immediately jumped away, and saw Gabumon charge right over Iki.

"What the fuck..." I said quietly. I turned towards Shoutmon, and looked at him in horror.

He was not doing to good. His face was beaten to a pulp, his limbs seemingly broken, and he looked just about ready to die.

"No... no no no no no!" I yelled as I ran towards Shoutmon to help him.

Suddenly, it happened again: my vision went red, and I saw myself standing there. Suddenly, I see a green-ish blade slice through my head, and watched in horror as my head rolled on the ground, and the rest of my body falling over. Behind me was Iki, with his now bloody scythe.

My vision went back to normal, and I immediately turned around with my sword, and luckily blocked the weapon that would've surely killed me.

"You have it, too," Iki said, retreating his scythe. "It's no use, Gabumon; he has Glimpse. We must retreat for now." Iki turned around, Gabumon running to his side, and he used his green Chrono to open up a portal.

"Wait!" I called out to Iki. "What was the big deal? Why were you trying to kill us?"

Iki turned around. "I wasn't trying to kill you. I would've, if you had given me reason to, which you did. Look, someone had a contract on your digimon pal there. That contract will be filled; trust me." He and his partner then walked through the portal, which disappeared afterward.

My full attention went towards Shoutmon after they left, and I ran to him. He was not looking good; he had scratches, gashes and bruises all over.

"Dear god, this is bad," I said, looking over his various injuries.

"It...it's fine," Shoutmon insisted as he attempted to get up.

"You think this is fine?!" I yelled at him, stopping him from getting up. "You need to get to a doctor. If you stay like this, you'll bleed out and die." Shoutmon started coughing and vomiting blood. The sight of this made me nearly throw up, as well. "Fuck... fuck fuck fuck! No, this isn't how it's going to end!" I felt all my Chrono energy channel throughout my whole body. "Shoutmon isn't going to die! I need a doctor! NOW!"

The next thing I remember is a bright flash of light, which completely blinded me. As soon as my eyes regained their vision, I saw a strange figure in front of me. It kind of looked like a nurse, with blue skin and dark blue hair. It wore a nurse's hat and hat a heart on the top, and its left eye had a green cross in place of the pupil. The nurse also seemed to be wearing multiple bandages.

"There is no need to fear now," it said in a soothing, high-pitched voice. "I am Aidmon, the main doctor of Chrono-League; I can help you."

"I don't trust you," I told this thing. "You could actually be corrupted, and trying to kidnap Shoutmon, you son of a bitch." Yeah, my word choices could've been better, as Aidmon suddenly became a living waterfall.

"All I've ever done is help digimon! I would never work with Zsalm! Why would you say something like that?! YOU MEANIE!" Her arms suddenly started to glow a dark blue with Chrono.

"No, no," I reassured the crying digimon, who I was pretty sure was gonna kill me. "Forgive me! I just... I'm dumb, okay? I'm like the biggest idiot in my class, so you shouldn't listen to a word I say, haha..." As soon as she stopped crying, I got serious. "Please... Shoutmon needs help. You came to us because you knew. So please... help him."

"Nope," Aidmon said.

Cue falling over, anime-style. At least, that's what I felt like I was doing.

"But why?!" Why in the world would she suddenly not want to help?

"Because you said not to listen to a word you said. So if you said Shoutmon needs help, then he's fine, right?" She looked down at him, in disgust and horror. "...right?"

Oh my god, this digimon was probably the dumbest living thing I've ever spoken to. How did she even BECOME a doctor, anyway? Don't you need to be really smart? This one seems like she dropped out of pre-school.

"Okay, then... Look, Shoutmon is perfectly okay!"

My plan had worked. "Oh, no he isn't!" Aidmon screamed, floating down towards Shoutmon. "He needs extreme medical attention, right now!" Aidmon held out her hands towards Shoutmon. They started to glow blue, like before, but this time instead of harming, it was healing Shoutmon. His wounds were closing and disappearing like Hugh Jackman's Wolverine's wounds did in the X-Men movies. A few minutes later, Shoutmon opened his eyes and sat up.

"Shoutmon..." I said, trying to hide my true emotions of how I was feeling at the time.

"Hey, Adrian," Shoutmon said to me with a grin. "Got anything to eat?"

I couldn't help but laugh at that, regardless if he was joking or not. "I... I..."

"What were you doing here, anyways?" Aidmon interrupted. "This seems like a very unusual spot for you two to be."

"We were waiting for some friends," I explained, "when suddenly a guy named Iki came out of nowhere and attacked us."

"Iki..." Aidmon pondered. Her face suddenly twisted into horror. "You don't mean-"

"Yes, he does," Shoutmon cut her off. "The Digital Assassin."

"That explains the severe injuries you got. But what I don't see is how you survived. Anyone who fights The Digital Assassin is sure to perish."

"I don't know," I said. I wasn't going to tell them what I saw. "I guess we... just got lucky."

"I'm not exactly sure luck has anything to do with this," Shoutmon told me. He turned to Aidmon. "Thank you very much, Aidmon. Without you, I'd probably be dead now. Where did you come from, anyway?"

"We detected a huge surge of Chrono energy in this place. We checked it out, and suddenly they sent me to help."

"Well, thank you, Aidmon," I said to her, smiling.

"Not a big deal. I've healed injuries worse than Shoutmon's before, believe it or not. It's really hard healing missing limbs, you know. Well, I gotta head back to the digital world. Be safe! And next time you see Iki, don't fight; just run." The flash of light came back, and when I could see again, it was just me and Shoutmon.

"Adrian?" Shoutmon asked.

"What's up?"

"I saw you dodge Gabumon's claws, and Iki's scythe. It was like... like you _knew_ it was going to happen. Did you... did you _see_ anything odd, just before?"

"Well, why do you ask?"

"If you did, then you have to be a natural at Chrono. It's called Glimpsing."

"Glimpsing?"

"Yeah. It's moments where you can see events happening into the future, whether they be a few seconds in, to years in. Digimon have had to train for years to be able to do that." He paued for a few seconds. "But you only had Chrono for four days. And you somehow managed to Glimpse..."

My phone suddenly started to ring. I looked at it; it was a call from Seina.

I answered the phone. "Seina, where the hell are you?"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"You texted me to meet you in the forest to train, and you're late. Where are you and Hawkmon?"

"Huh? I never texted you anything. In fact, that's why I called you; I found a spot."

"Wait, if you didn't text me, then who..." It suddenly came to mind. I heard Iki's responses play in my brain:

 _"I don't like to give away the names of my clients."_

 _"Look, someone had a contract on your digimon pal there. That contract will be filled; trust me."_

It was all a set-up from the very beginning...

"Adrian? Adrian, are you still there?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah. Where is that place you are talking about?"

"Don't worry about that; Aquilamon and I are in the air as we speak. Just tell me where you are and we'll come get you."

"We're in the forest."

"What? Why are you in there?"

"It's a long story; we'll tell you once you arrive. Talk to you later." I hung up the phone, and just stared at it, thinking about Iki. He was an assassin? Who wanted Shoutmon dead? And how did he text me as Seina? Does he know about Seina? Just who the hell is this guy, anyway?

"Seina and Aquilamon should be here any minute now," I finally told Shoutmon. "Should we ask them to stop somewhere on the way for a bite to eat? It is almost lunchtime."

I heard a very familiar growl coming from Shoutmon's stomach, and he blushed a very visible blush on his red skin as he clutched his white belly with both paws. "Yes, let's do that. I'm starving."

"Even after having your ass handed to you, you still feel like eating. You're very interesting, Shoutmon."

"Better than having a boring partner, that's for sure, Adrian."

A few minutes later, we saw Aquilamon land right in front of us, with Seina riding on top of him. We got on his back, with Seina in the back, me in the middle, and Shoutmon up front towards Aquilamon's head and flew off.

"So, Adrian," Seina asked as we lifted off into the air, "why were you two in the middle of the forest?"

"Well," I started to say, "I got a text from you yesterday, saying you found a good spot for training in the forest."

"I never texted you, though..."

"I realize that. It was all a set-up, by a guy named Iki."

"Iki?" Aquilamon spoke up. "The Digital Assassin?"

"Yeah, him," I answered. "Wow, he must have a really big reputation."

"He does. Iki has been the biggest assassin of the digital world for four years."

"Four years?" Seina asked Aquilamon. "I thought you guys only started telling humans about the digital world recently."

"Nope," Aquilamon said, "it's been happening for a while now; digimon traveling to the human world is quite a common thing, and sometimes those digimon form bonds with a human, like we all have. Iki must've met his partner, Gabumon, quite some time ago. Did you and Shoutmon run into him?"

"We have," I said. "Iki just suddenly appeared when we arrived at the place 'you,'" I referred to Seina, and did the quotation motion with my fingers, "told us to meet you at. Shoutmon was a bloody mess after Iki eventually left."

"What?" Seina asked, looking at Shoutmon. "He seems fine now."

"A Chrono-League member arrived just in time to heal me," Shoutmon turned and told her. "Aidmon, the guild's doctor. She said Adrian gave off so much Chronotic energy that they had to see what it was, so they sent her."

"So, Chrono-League is tracking the activity in our world?" I asked.

"Chronotic activity? Yes, they are. They're going to warn us about energy readings in our area, and they'll warn digimon in other areas, as well."

"Hey, Shoutmon?" Aquilamon asked. "If you two went up against Iki, how did either of you survive?"

"You won't believe me if I told you," Shoutmon said. "Adrian has Glimpse."

"What?!" Seina and Aquilamon said at the same time, but with different tones; Seina said it in a "what the hell is that" tone, and Aquilamon said it in a "no way" tone. Either way, it still caused Aquilamon to stop flying, meaning all of us started to fall. Seina and Shoutmon grabbed Aquilamon just in time as he started flying again, but I wasn't as lucky, and I started to fall hundreds of stories to the ground.

"ADRIAN!" I heard them call out for me as I fell.


	6. Episode 6: The Skater Bro

Hello there, my viewers! And welcome to Episode 6 of Digimon: Chrono! This story has been super fun for me to write so far, even if it's challenging, so even the smallest review will make me happy, big time! *hint hint*

Half of this chapter will also be written in third person, and who knows? Maybe third person will be this story's style, if it goes over well. Prepare for a LOOOONG chapter.

Also, do you like these opening titles? Should I keep them or ditch them?

Alright, ONTO THE STORY!

So, last time we left off, Adrian and Shoutmon had gotten a text from Seina about where to start training on their Chrono abilities.

Sounds all good, except the whole thing was a set up by Iki, the Digital Assassin, in an attempt to kill Shoutmon.

Suddenly, Adrian's vision goes bonkers; he starts seeing into the future!

And now, Adrian is falling far from the sky. What's going to happen now? Find out, on Digimon: Chrono!

 **...**

 _saa ryoute hiroge ano kumo wo koete_

 _niji no aachi kugutte_

 _mezasu basho e_

 _FLY AWAY!_

 **DIGIMON: CHRONO**

 _(mukaikaze datte dekai kabe datte oikaze matotte mezasu basho e)_

 _kimi ga soba ni iru kara_

 _I held you hand cuz you said_

 _"Take you to the shining place from a maze"_

 _kimi wo shinjite_

 _tsukanda sono te atatakakute_

 _mitsumeru sono hitomi ni kumori wa nakute_

 _kodoku wo tsumikasaneta omoi ga kareta daichi ni otoshita namida_

 _hitotsubu no shizuku ga hirogatte_

 _iro toridori no hana wo sakashiteku_

 _tsuyogari no naifu wo furimawashite_

 _kizutsukete_

 _kizutsuite_

 _kurayami de sakendeta_

 _ima hikari terasu ano sora no hate e_

 _kimi no te o tsukande hanasani you ni_

 _FLY AWAY!_

 _(mukaikaze datte dekai kabe datte_

 _oikaze matotte mezasu basho e)_

 _Boku ga soba ni iru kara_

 **Created by: Russell the Dragon**

 **...**

 **EPISODE 6: The Skater Bro**

 _ **[September 10, 2016]**_

 _ **[11:15 AM]**_

"WHOA! WICKED, DUDE!" A teenager wearing a green layered shirt and black hair called out to his friend, another teen with red, spiky hair, wearing a long-sleeve light yellow T-Shirt over an orange button-up, doing a flip over a dumpster at a local skate park.

The skate park was nothing too special; it was mainly quarter pipes and ramps, with a few rails here and there, but it was still heaven for the local skaters of Woodland Rivers.

The red haired teen's name was Connor. He had been bragging to his friends about how he could actually start doing front and back flips, and he finally got the chance to actually show them his sweet new trick.

"Awesome, dude!" Another teen, this time wearing a white tanktop, ran up to Connor as he was getting off his board.

"Thanks, man!" Connor said with a proud smile as he high-fived his friend. He turned his attention towards his other friend. "Hey, Flip, how about you show us that sweet grind you were working on?"

Flip's real name was William Briggs, but he was called Flip because of the reputation he got because he could backflip on command. Flip's dad absolutely hated the skater culture, but Flip adored it. He loves skating, and he wants to go pro one day.

"Sure thing, dude!" Flip said as he strapped on his flame-designed helmet, grabbed his board, and the three ran off to the longest rail at the park.

"You think he's gonna make it, Connor?" Connor's friend, Sam, asked. "I mean, he's a good skater, but grinds aren't really his thing."

"You worry too much, man," Connor playfully punched Sam's arm.

Connor was something else, indeed. He is pretty much a natural at any extreme sport. He can surf, snowboard, bike, roller skate, and snowmobile like the best of them. Not only that, but he was actually pretty smart, too, usually getting good grades in school, unlike his two friends.

And by the way he acts, you'd think he'd have the damn best life in the entire world. And you definitely wouldn't be blamed for thinking that at all.

"Oh, here he goes!" Connor shouted as Flip skated towards the rail. At first, everything seemed to go slow motion: Flip ollied, and did a varied heelflip as he landed onto the rail. The board then started to slide on the rail, with Flip on it, but the board's side was sliding instead.

 _He's gonna do it,_ Connor thought excitedly. _He's gonna do it!_

 _He's gonna do it,_ Sam thought, not believing his eyes. _He's gonna do it!_

All those thoughts were smashed as soon as Flip lost his balance, landing face first onto the cemented pavement of the ground.

 _Awww, maaaaaaaaan,_ Connor thought, disappointed.

 _I knew it,_ Sam was thinking, smirking.

Both of them laughed at the funny bail, though.

"Oh, haha," Flip yelled at his friends as he walked up to them, rubbing his nose. "My pain is just so hysterical. Crap, what do I keep doing wrong?"

"It's simple," Connor told Flip. "You're losing your balace mid-grind. You need to have a good balance to even be able to stay on the board when skating, and that balance has to be even better when grinding."

"He's right, you know," Sam chipped in, smiling. "Connor's never been wrong before, right?"

Flip stared at Connor for a few seconds, then sighed. "I guess you're right. I just don't know what I can do about it."

"You can borrow one of my spare rails," Sam said. "I don't use it much, anyways; you can use it you work on your balance while grinding."

"Hey, thanks, man!" Flip said estatically as he fist-bumped Sam. "Hey, let's go to your place now. Wanna come, Connor?"

"Nah," Connor declined, raising his hands. "I gotta get home, anyways. Moms is making lunch, and she'll probably need help with my bro."

"That's cool," Sam shrugged. "Text us when you wanna hang again. Also tell us how Tyler is today. Let's get goin', Flip." Connor watched as his two best friends got on their skateboards and left the park. Connor then did the same.

 _ **[11:40 AM]**_

Connor looked up at his, admitably, pretty nice house. It was a beige, two story house, complete with a seperate garage, and the house was on a lake. How much better could it get?

Connor skated all the way up to the front porch. He then picked up his skateboard, and walked through the front door to the living room, where he saw a big couch and a flat-screen TV. A PlayStation 4, along with controllers and games, were sitting comfortably in front of the TV.

"Hey, Moms!" Connor called out. "I'm home!"

"Hey, Connor!" Connor's mother, Nikky, appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. "You're home earlier than I thought. How was the park?"

"It was good, y'know? Flip and Sam decided to go work on their balance at Sam's place, so I decided to come back home."

"Oh, well, if that's what you want. I'm surprised you didn't take Dorumon with you today. You two almost never leave each other alone."

Connor sighed. "You didn't tell him where I went, did ya, Moms?"

Nikky set down the knife she was using to cut the vegetables and walked towards Connor. "Of course not. He would be heartbroken, but I understand why you did what you did."

"I just hope he understands, too," Connor said quietly. "No one besides you, me and Tyler can find out about him, or other digimon, for that matter."

"We've done a good job doing that so far, haven't we?" Nikky asked her eldest son as she went back to chopping vegetables for the salad. "We HAVE been doing it for five years. It's no wonder that Dorumon misses the digital world."

"Yeah... hey, where is he now, Moms?"

"Dorumon? He's napping in your room. I was actually going to ask you to go grab him, as well as Tyler. Lunch is almost ready. It's gonna be chicken with a side of salad."

"Chicken? Awesome! Thanks, Moms!" Connor cheered as he ran upstairs to his room.

"No problem!" Nikky smiled, which faded after she read the doctor's note she had gotten that morning in the mail. "It's the least I could do for you..."

Connor opened his bedroom door and looked around. His room was full of posters of Tony Hawk, Niger Houston, and many other famous skateboarders. His TV was attached to the wall, pointing up to his side of the bunk bed. On the bottom part, Connor found his partner, Dorumon, sleeping in the covers.

Dorumon was a dinosaur-like digimon, with purple and white fur instead of scales, and a fox-like tail. There was a giant red gem on his forehead, right in between Dorumon's golden eyes.

Connor considered Dorumon to be his closest friend, and has so for over five years now.

 _ **[April 15, 2011]**_

 _ **[7:27 PM]**_

It all started on a dark night, when Connor was ten years old. Of course, he and his kid brother, Tyler (who was seven at the time) were having a blast playing Tony Hawk's Underground on their PlayStation 2 in the living room, while Nikky was making Hamburger Helper in the kitchen. The two brothers were on the two player mode, Fire Fight.

"Haha, Connor!" Tyler cheered. "I'm gonna beat you! You can't aim to save your life."

"Don't think so, little bro," Connor smirked. "Remember; I am the skateboarder in the family."

"But I'm better at video games than you. So, take that!"

"Well, then let's see what wins in the end: physical skill or digital skill."

"Oh, you're on, Connor. On like Donkey Ko-"

 **CRAAAAAAAASH!**

Suddenly, all the lights and electronic devices in the house shut down completely, leaving the house in total silence. The lights came back on as quickly as they left, as well.

"NOOOO!" Tyler yelled. "I was about to beat you!"

"Enough about that, Tyler," Connor said as he got up. "I'm going to see what that crash was."

"Connor, wait!" Nikky called out for him as he ran out the front door.

Connor ran around the house, seeing where whatever crashed had landed. He ran out to the garage, and saw a massive crater on the left side of it.

"Whoa..." Connor said out loud while Nikky and Tyler ran up to him. The crater was glowing a bright orange, as well. "What happened?"

Nikky then walked up to the side of the crater, and found something she didn't expect to find sitting there.

"TYLER LUCAS SICAMORE!" Nikky yelled. She then walked up to him and held a Playstation Portable up to his face. "Why was THIS sitting there?!"

"Uhhhh..." Was what all Tyler could respond with, while backing up.

"You are grounded from video games for the rest of the night, mister."

"But Mom-"

"But nothing! Why is this even out here, anyways! You should have known that this thing could possibly break! You should be lucky it isn't, otherwise-"

"Hey, Mom-" Connor started to say.

"Not now, honey. I'm in the middle of a conversation with your careless brother right now!"

"But something's coming out of the crater."

"What?" Nikky immediately turned all of her attention to the crater, which was no longer glowing. She noticed a tiny bit of movement, before suddenly, a giant furry head popped out. Nikky screamed and pulled her kids close to her.

"AAAAHHH! Wha... what is that?!"

The monster just kept walking closer and closer to them. Nikky was getting scared, as well as Connor and Tyler, possibly even more so. The monster then stopped, and held a paw out towards them.

"Hello there. My name is Dorumon," the creature said with a giant smile. NIkky held her kids closer to her after Dorumon extended its paw towards them. But Connor... Connor pulled away from his mother's protective grasp and began approaching Dorumon.

"Connor..." Nikky called. "Connor! Get away from that thing!"

Connor did not listen. He just kept on walking... walking towards the creature... like something was calling him... until eventually, he grabbed the monster's paw and shook it.

All Nikky and Tyler could see after that was one quick flash of orange, and when they could see again, they saw Connor lying on his back, unconscious. Horrified, Nikky ran up to Connor and picked him up. He was completely unconscious, but it seemed as if he was dead.

"Connor... Connor, no..." Nikky teared up and hugged Connor as hard as she could. She then gave Dorumon the angriest look anyone could give. "You killed my son, you son of a bitch," Nikky growled through her teeth. She then repeated what the said, but louder. "YOU KILLED MY SON!"

"No, no I swear, I didn't," Dorumon defended himself. "That's supposed to happen; I promise you, he'll wake up in an hour of two. Please, trust me."

 _You're making it really hard to do so,_ Nikky bitterly thought. She looked down at her son. Nikky wanted to believe him, for the sake of her family. She sobbed quietly.

"All right," she finally agreed, teary-eyed. "But you're not leaving until he actually does wake up."

"I wasn't planning on leaving at all, anyways," Dorumon replied.

"And what the hell do you mean by that?"

"I can explain everything to you, as soon as he wakes up. He is my partner, now; he deserves to know this."

"You're going to have to give the best damn explanation ever, you know," Nikky said, watching her cursing around Tyler, who was still freaking out. "Get in. NOW."

 _ **[Back to present day.]**_

"Owwww..." Dorumon moaned as he slithered out of the bed. "Connor, why did you pounce on me?"

"Because it's funny, man," Connor said, unable to control his laughter. "Besides, Moms says lunch is ready."

"Oooh, what is it today?"

"I think she said it was chicken salad."

"Chicken salad? Sounds weird. Let's try it! Come on, Connor!" And with that, Dorumon went running out the door.

"Hey, wait for me, Dorumon!" Connor laughed as he chased after the purple furred digimon. Dorumon glided down the stairs while Connor slid down the railing. Both of them slid right into the kitchen and knocked over Tyler, who was now thirteen.

"What the hell, Connor?!" Tyler yelled at his older brother.

"Oh, dude, I'm sorry," Connor said, lending a hand to his brother. "It was just an accident, right?"

Tyler looked at Connor's hand, and rejected it, getting up on his own. "I don't need your sympathy. What I need is for you to stop acting like an idiot."

"Tyler, not now, please," Nikky begged, rubbing her temples. "Just please, can we all enjoy a meal as a family? Instead of bickering at each other about our faults?"

"Yeah, Tyler," Connor said, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, CAN WE, Tyler?" Dorumon asked, also crossing his arms.

Tyler started to walk towards the two in a menacing matter. "If you two do not shut up, I'm going to-"

"You're gonna what?" Dorumon asked in a joking matter. "I can kick your ass any day of the week, of the month, and of the year."

Tyler was getting red at this point. "THAT'S IT, I'M GONNA-"

"You are NOT going to do ANYTHING, Tyler Lucas Sicamore!" Nikky screamed, yanking Tyler's ear. "And just for that, you don't get lunch. Go to your room."

Tyler turned towards his mother. "BUT THEY-"

"Your brother and Dorumon didn't do anything. You might think they have, but they didn't. YOU are the one causing trouble here. Room. NOW."

Tyler couldn't take it anymore. He ran up and punched Nikky in the stomach, who then kneeled over. He ran to Tyler and gave him three good punches to the face before running upstairs, yelling "YOU ALL ARE PATHETIC!"

"I'M GOING TO BE UP THERE LATER, YOU LITTLE SHIT," Nikky yelled upstairs, in which the response she got was a slamming door of Tyler's room. She took a deep breath and focused her attention towards Connor, who was still rubbing his face. "I'm sorry, Connor. I really am..." Nikky gave Connor a big hug. "I don't know what's going on with Tyler... I wish your father was here, so so bad..."

Thomas Sicamore was a good man, indeed. He owned a thrift shop in downtown Woodland Rivers called "Sicamore Values." It was a money maker for his family, which he happily returned to every night. Thomas would take off his favorite hat to reveal his red hair, something everyone in the family had. He would eat dinner with his wife and kids, and spend the evening watching late night television while talking to his wife. Yes, life was good for the Sicamores...

"Don't... don't bring him up, Moms," Connor begged his mother, starting to cry as well.

"It's so hard not to..." Nikky was now sobbing at this point. Even Dorumon was beginning to tear up. The hug finally ended after a few minutes.

"I'm going outside for a bit, Moms," Connor said. "I'm not really feeling all that hungry."

"Oh? Alright, then, Connor. I'll save some for you for later." She put a hand on his shoulder. "And hey; I'm certain that everything will get better."

"You've been saying that for three years, Moms. Just face it... it's never gonna get better." Connor took his skateboard and walked out the front door. Nikky looked at the letter on the counter while Dorumon took a plate of food and headed to the dining room. She picked up the letter.

"No... no, it isn't..." she whispered, nearly hugging the letter.

Connor's number one method of chilling out was skating, so he decided to skate around the block for a bit. After about five minutes of just cruising down the street on his skateboard, he looked up at the sunny sky. Something was up.

"Huh?" Connor wondered. He used Chrono to enhance his vision, so he could see farther distances. And what he saw seemed to look like a human body falling from the sky.

"What the hell?"

The body was of a kid, the same age as Connor. He was wearing a dark grey zip-up hoodie, red shirt, blue jean shorts, red and black shoes, and also had a pair of goggles on his head.

"Who in the world wears goggles? Nevermind that, why is he falling from the sky?"

Connor had to do something; this person could die if he hits the ground! He stepped on it, then. He skateboarded towards the falling body so fast, it must've been a world record. He had to make it on time. He had to catch the guy.

He had to save a life.

 _ **[12:01 PM]**_

I woke up in some strange room.

It wasn't my room, that's for sure; my room didn't have posters of people up all over them... or any posters, for that matter. I was also pretty sure my bed wasn't a bunk bed.

"Huh?" I managed to say, raising my head. Of course, I had a Scary Movie moment and hit the top part of the bunk. That brought my head back down.

"Ouch..." I rubbed my bruise forehead before, slowly this time, getting up. At least I was smarter than those people in Scary Movie. If I was one of those characters, I'd have hit my head at least two more times. Then again, anyone in the world is smarter than those people. As well as the people who MAKE those terrible movies. Have you SEEN Disaster Movie? What a direct insult to cinema, that one.

I still have the nightmares of those chipmunks, too.

I heard a creak sound, and saw the door slowly move. A kid my age walked in. He had red, spiky hair, yellow-green eyes, and wore a yellow t-shirt under an orange button-up, camoflague cargo shorts, and sandals. This guy was obviously a skater bro.

"Hey, man, how ya feelin'?" The kid asked in the voice I expected him to have: totally gnarly and chillaxin, that kind of voice.

"I've been better," I replied. "Nothing like falling hundreds of stories, know what I'm sayin'?"

"Yeah, totally, dude."

"Totally."

We both laughed at our lame attempt at conversation. My laughing stopped when I noticed a creature that was glowing orange come in. It had purple fur and a fox-like tail, but it resembled a dinosaur more than anything. The biggest appeal was the big gem on its forehead. Of course, the skater acted like nothing was there. I don't know if it was because I'd already seen it or not, but I could tell his acting was terrible.

"I can see him, you know."

The skater's face did a complete transition from cool as a cucumber to sweatier than a bear in the desert in no time at all. He nervously laughed. "Uhhh, see who?"

"Your digimon partner." I got up and made my right hand glow. "I can tell that you two are partners."

"No way," the creature said. "He has Chrono, too; just like you, Connor!"

"So Connor's your name?" I made my hand stop glowing and extended it towards him. "My name's Adrian."

"Adrian, huh?" Connor said, shaking my hand. "Nice to meet ya, man. So, where's your digimon partner?"

"Yeah, we kind of got seperated when I fell out of the sky."

"What exactly happened?" The creature asked me. "Oh, my name's Dorumon, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, too, Dorumon. Well, I was with my friend Seina and her partner, Hawkmon, and we were riding on his Chronovolved form, Aquilamon. Something happened, and I fell overboard."

"What's Chronovolving?" Connor asked me. Again, cue me falling over, anime-style.

"You didn't explain anything to him?" I asked Dorumon.

"I didn't see a real good reason to. Why? What's happening?"

"You seriously have no idea what's going on in the digital world right now, do you?"

Dorumon shook his head. "I've been stuck here for five years. What's going on? I want to know." Dorumon was beginning to look worried at this point.

"Maybe you should consider yourself one of the lucky ones," I said, starting to leave. "I have to go find my friends. Thanks for helping me, you two, but I gotta go-"

"Wait!" Dorumon stopped me. "What's happening in my world? Is it something bad? Please just tell me!"

"Trust me, you're better off not getting involved in..." Then I thought about it. These guys are on the same level as the rest of us; maybe they could help. "Alright, I'll tell you, but on one condition."

"What is it?" Dorumon said, about to jump out of his fur from anticipation. "I really need to know!"

"You two join us," I said. "Join our team. Then you'll know what exactly is going on."

"What kind of team?" Connor asked me.

"A team with a main goal being to make sure the world is safe from other digimon," I told him. "Now, you in or not?"

"I'm not agreeing to just anything, Adrian," Connor told me. "First, we need to know what you're even talking about."

"If I tell you," I warned him, "it's an instant commitment. There is no backing out on this. Do you understand now?"

Dorumon walked up to Connor with puppy dog eyes. "Come on, Connor. It's my world he's talking about. My home. I really have to know. If its in danger, I want to save it. Please?"

Suddenly, I heard a voice I didn't recognize: it was definitely female, and she sounded a bit older. Must've been Connor's mother. "Connor, Tyler, Dorumon, come down now!"

"Wait, your mother KNOWS about Dorumon?!" I asked, dumbfounded.

"My brother, too," Connor told me as he and Dorumon ran downstairs. I immediately followed them, wondering what the commotion was about.

I ran downstairs, and saw Connor, Dorumon, a younger kid, and an older woman run out the door. I followed them and saw what seemed to be a gigantic crow!

 _Oh, you've got to be shitting me..._

"EVERYONE, GET BACK!" I yelled to the family as the crow fired an energy blast, which would've killed them instantly if I hadn't said something.

This digimon was a giant bird, different than the T-Rex that attacked last time. Though it still had that same black mist as before. Oh, man, I wished so badly that Shoutmon was here. How was I going to be able to take down this thing myself?

Well, better to try than to stand there like a doofus. I summoned my Chrono-sword, then ran straight towards the giant crow digimon. I charged my legs with Chrono and jumped up to where the crow was, and I slashed straight down.

 **"CHRONO-SLASH!"**

Wow, I was getting stronger, because that move grounded the bird almost instantly. Although, as soon as it went down, it got back up, taking me along for the ride.

"CRAPCRAPCRAPCRAPCRAPCRAPCRAPCRAPCRAPCRAPCRAP!" I yelled as the bird digimon got higher, and higher, then divebombed straight down. "FUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!" I just started slamming my sword onto the bird, no rhyme or reason, just so I could damage it in some way. The bird flew circles around Connor's house, the whole time I was just bashing my sword on its back. Suddenly, it flew upwards and I fell over, just landing in the backyard.

"Come on..." I said to myself as I pushed myself up. I clenched my sword in my right hand and looked up as the bird was now coming straight for me.

 _No one's coming to save me... I have to save myself!_ I raised my sword, and was fully prepared to whack that damn bird into space. "Either you die, you die, or I die today, bird." It kept coming closer.

"But I know one thing for sure..."

It just kept coming closer.

"I WILL NOT LET YOU HARM MY WORLD ANYMORE! SO BRING IT ON!"

The bird digimon's beak was almost touching my face, when something flew by my right and attacked it. All I was able to see at the time was a blur of red.

I turned to my left and saw the bird laying there, and guess who else I saw with it?

It was Shoutmon, in his hidden form.

"Shoutmon!" I couldn't help but yell with happiness.

"Hey there, Adrian!" Shoutmon gave me a two-finger wave. "Right in the knick of time, huh?"

I couldn't help but laugh at his situational, let cliche joke. "It sure was, Shoutmon. It sure was." Shoutmon then ran up to me.

"I was so worried about what happened to you. I'm so glad you're safe."

"You would've found another partner, couldn't you?"

"You don't understand how bonding works, do you, Adrian?" Shoutmon chuckled.

"Hey, how did you get here, anyways?"

"We saw the Crowmon's portal while we were flying. It's really not that complicated of a story."

 _Oh, so that's its name! There really needs to be a device that tells you these things._

"Uh, hi, there," Connor conveniently said to us, "I'm Connor." Dorumon walked right next to his side, with his mother and brother standing quite a ways behind them.

"He can see me?" Shoutmon asked.

"Yep," I responded, "That Dorumon is Connor's partner, as well."

"He has a partner?! That means Connor has Chrono! He can help us out, then!"

"Yeah, about that... neither of them have any idea."

"No idea about..." Shoutmon's eyes widened with surprise. "No, they have to know. Zsalm isn't just something you don't hear about."

"Well, they don't know what's going on," I shrugged. "Sorry."

"I don't think 'sorry' has any real use here, Adrian. We have to let them know."

"Hey, we exist, too," Seina and Hawkmon called out to me. Seina then walked up to us. "I am so sorry about what happened, Adrian. I'm just happy you're safe." Seina then gave me the biggest bear hug ever. Probably too big.

"C-c-can't... b-b-b-b-breathe..." If she hadn't let me go after that, I would've passed out again.

"That is one of the few times I ever give hugs. Remember that," she immediately told me.

"Alright, no complaints from me," I said. "Now, first things first: we need to-" I was abruptly cut off by the call of the giant bird digimon as it was getting back up again and flying over us.

"Okay... first things last." I turned to Seina. "Ready?"

"Ready."

Shoutmon ran in front of me, and Hawkmon ran in front of Seina. We extended our arms; mine glowing red, hers glowing pink.

"Yo, what's going on, man?" Connor asked me.

"You'll find out," Seina told him. We then said the next words at the exact same time.

 _ **"LET'S GO! CHRONOTIC TRANSFER!"**_

 _ **"SHOUTMON, CHRONOVOLVE TO... SILVSHOUTMON!"**_

 _ **"HAWKMON, CHRONOVOLVE TO... AQUILAMON!"**_

Before we knew it, two taller digimon were standing in the place of Shoutmon and Hawkmon. And I don't think Connor or his family could believe it, either.

"Holy crap..." Connor said.

"H-how did you do that?!" The younger kid angrily asked. But there was no time to answer; the giant bird then shot multiple balls of corrupted Chrono towards us, and these balls exploded to form smaller versions of itself, roughly the same size as our digimon before Chronovolving.

"Ah, crap," I said as I summoned my sword, and Seina summoned a weird cyber-staff with blunt pink edges. The giant crow then flew high up into the sky.

"Crowmon's getting away!" SilvShoutmon yelled.

"Adrian and I will handle the uglys down here," Seina was saying. "Aquilamon and SilvShoutmon, you two go up and deal with the big ugly."

"Aye, aye!" Aquilamon and SilvShoutmon said as they flew up towards Crowmon. And that left me and Seina with these ugly things, which started running for us. I reacted to them by sliding and managing to cut three of them in half, making them vanish.

I turned around and saw Seina holding her own pretty well. She was a really good fighter; with all the flips, the spinning of her staff, the way each blow to the clones seemed like it hurts them. And watching her fight made me forget to fight on my own and I ended up getting grabbed by two of the clones, one grabbing each of my arms. They even took my sword away from me!

"Let go of me, you feathery shits!" I yelled. "Seina, little help?"

"I'm having my own problems here," Seina yelled back as I saw her being grouped up by more of the clones. I saw them literally pull her staff out of her hands, which vanished as soon as they threw it away.

"Damn it... SILVSHO-" I was cut off by both SilvShoutmon AND Aquilamon falling right in front of me. "NOOOO!"

"Connor, you have to do something," I heard Dorumon yell. "They're losing!"

"What can I do?" Connor asked back, his voice getting louder. "I can't make you big, like they did with there partners."

"Yes, you can!" I shouted at Connor. "I thought the same thing as you, once, and trust me: you can absolutely do it! Just listen to your partner, Connor!"

Connor looked at the situation... at our partner digimon on the ground; at me and Seina getting captured... at Crowmon laughing at all of us. He turned to his family, who were also getting grabbed by Crowmon clones, same as us. I saw his eyes, and arm, turn orange.

"I know what to do..." Connor simply said. He then aimed his right hand at Dorumon, and I heard very familiar words come out of his mouth.

 _ **"CHRONOTIC TRANSER!"**_

As soon as Connor shouted that, a giant ball of energy came shooting out of his hands, and right at Dorumon. And when that energy hit, Dorumon then began to change. He glowed orange and morphed before our eyes, and when the glowing ended, he was a completely new digimon. He got bigger, its wings got bigger, his fur color changed to black, and its claws got longer, as well as changed to a blood red color.

 _ **"DORUGAMON!"**_

The newly forumed Dorugamon went after the clones that captured Connor's family first. And he was not fooling around; if they hadn't disappeared after being defeated, then there would have been a mess of blood and entrails.

"Dorumon-" the older woman started to say.

"Please..." Dorugamon cut her off. "Call me Dorugamon now."

"O-o-okay..." she stammered. She grabbed his paw. "Thank you, Dorugamon. You... you saved us."

"Hey, mind saving us, too?" Seina yelled. "You can summon weapons, you know, skater dude; use them to save us!"

"Don't be such an ass, Seina," I yelled at her.

Connor just stared at his hands. "I can summon weapons?" he asked. He decided to try it for himself. Connor waved his arm a bit, and suddenly, a cyber-looking handle with a glowing orange whip attached was in his hands. He then looked at our captors.

"You guys look so fat," he told them. "How about I WHIP you all into shape!" Connor threw his hand around, and the whip extended, attacking the clones at once. Although the first hit caused them to let go of us, they weren't defeated yet. That's where me and Seina come in, ditching the weapons and using our fisticuffs to fight them off. The three of us fought and fought; Connor doing some really cool moves with his weapon, waving it around and cleverly defeating clones, and me and Seina doing backflips and judo kicks. This was so awesome!

I noticed SilvShoutmon and Aquilamon getting up while fighting. "Ugh, what happened?" SilvShoutmon asked. He then looked up to see a clone trying to kick his face in, which ended with SilvShoutmon slicing the clone with his sword, defeating him instantly.

"We need to get someone up there to defeat Crowmon," Seina told us, just after spinning her staff and defeating two clones at once. "Or else he'll just keep making more clones."

"Two digimon isn't enough," Aquilamon warned us. "SilvShoutmon and I got creamed by Crowmon. We all need to go up there, or he needs to get down."

"I am not leaving my Moms and bro to be attacked by these freaks," Connor angrily objected.

"I'll get them somewhere safe," SilvShoutmon offered. "Then I can join you all in a bit. Do you trust me, Connor?"

"Yeah," Connor nodded, after a brief pause. "Yeah, I trust you. Just make sure no clones, or Crowmon, can get at them. Can you please do that for me?"

"Sure can, Connor! Don't you worry about a thing!" SilvShoutmon then ran up to Connor's family, grabbed them, and flew off.

"Adrian, come on!" Seina yelled, getting on top of Aquilamon while Connor got on Dorugamon.

"I'm not going to fall off again, am I?" I asked Aquilamon as I ran up to him.

"No promises, unless you hold on tight," Aquilamon warned. This wasn't the time to argue, so I shrugged, got on Aquilamon, and the two digimon flew up towards Crowmon, who was a few stories high at this point.

"So, how did he get you two last time?" Seina asked Aquilamon.

"I don't know; he just suddenly blasted a beam of energy at us out of its beak, and we lost consciousness."

"So whatever we do," I concluded, "we have to avoid that beam. How long of a start up does it have?"

"Not long at all. It takes merely two seconds to get charged up and ready to fire."

"Two seconds?! We need to be extremely alert then. There he is!" I pointed at the extremely close-up Crowmon. We all summoned our weapons. "Bring it on, bird-brain." I jumped off Aquilamon with my charged jump and landed on top of Crowmon. There, I just started slashing away at it. It was working, at first, until Crowmon remembered he could barrel roll. Luckily, I summoned a rope and wrapped it around Crowmon's leg before I fell. I swung upwards and slashed its head as I was ascending.

"Gotcha!" I cheered, right before Crowmon swatted at me with his wing, sending me crashing onto Connor's roof. "I really should've seen that coming..."

I saw Seina take her shot at Crowmon next. She, just like me, jumped on top of Crowmon, along with Connor, and the two digimon began flying circles around Crowmon.

I couldn't see what they were talking about, if they were talking at all, since they just stood there for a little while. But, eventually, Dorugamon went up to Crowmon, and blasted it with something. Again, I was still on the roof, so I couldn't really see. I tried to get up, and-

"AAAHHH!" I ended up slipping and falling off the roof like an idiot. "Why?" I asked myself as I got up, properly this time. "Why does this keep happening?" I then summoned a special type of grappling hook that just stuck to objects, shot it at Crowmon, and came up. As I was rising, I readied my sword for another strike.

"Just a little closer... HA!" I slashed at Crowmon's neck, which caused it to slightly fall a bit. Ugh, there had to be a better way to stay in the air than this!

Suddenly, though, my feet were on something, but I saw myself still in the air. I looked down at my feet. There was an object beneath them; it was silver, and a bit bulky, but it was strips of red light passing through it.

I had somehow summoned a _fucking hoverboard._

"No way..." I said out loud. "NO FUCKING WAY!" I had a hoverboard now! And I could actually RIDE it! This was so awesome!

"We can make hoverboards?" Connor asked with excitement. Then he jumped off of Crowmon and summoned a hoverboard of his own. Same design, as well, except the red parts were now orange. "No way, man!"

"I know, right?!" I agreed. "Now we can take down this thing!"

"Need a little help with that?" I heard a voice say. Suddenly, I see a red, glowing line hit Crowmon straight on the back, damaging it considerably.

"SilvShoutmon!" I cheered, giving said digimon a thumbs up, which he gave back.

"Let's do this, Connor," Dorugamon said as he fired another energy ball at Crowmon. Crowmon was definitely getting mad at this point, because after that attack hit, it suddenly fired _weaponized feathers_ at us. One of them cut my arm, too, and that was only a glancing hit. If those things hit you, head on...

"Get down!" I yelled, blocking any feather that came my way. Sadly, Aquilamon got hit by a bunch of them, failing to dodge, so much so that he turned back into Hawkmon, and fell straight to the ground, with a bunch of feathers that weren't his own stuck in him.

"HAWKMON!" Seina called for him, jumping off Crowmon. She, as well, summoned her own hoverboard and flew downwards to catch Hawkmon, just in time, too.

"It's just us now," I told the others as I headed straight for Crowmon. "Attack with all your might!" _**"CHRONO SLASH!"**_

 _ **"CHRONO WHIP!"**_

 _ **"SILV DASH!"**_

 _ **"CANNONBALL!"**_

We had all thrown our best attacks at Crowmon, and somehow, he was more affected by this attack than the others.

"That's it!" I said to the others. "We need to combine our attacks; that'll make our moves more efficient, and we can take down Crowmon faster!"

"Neat idea," Connor complimented. "Let's try it in action. We'll combine moves with our partners. Ready, Dorugamon?"

"Ready, Connor."

"How about you, Silv?" I asked my digimon. "Ready?"

"Hell yeah. Let's do this!"

"Alright, guys," I continued. "It's going to be a bit hard going up against him with melee attacks when he's shooting feathers at us, so those won't work. Stick to ranged weapons." Connor and I then turned our weapons into bows, minus the arrows. "Alright: THREE, TWO, ONE, FIRE!"

 _ **"CHRONO BOW!"**_

 _ **"FIERY BLAZE!"**_

 _ **"CANNONBALL!"**_

When I fired my laser arrow, it combined with SilvShoutmon's fire wave, and that doubled the damage. The same thing happened with Connor and Dorugamon. Both attacks had stunned Crowmon so much, he couldn't continue shooting feathers.

"It's working!" I yelled. "Keep going!"

 _ **"CHRONO BOW!"**_

 _ **"FIERY BLAZE!"**_

 _ **"CANNONBALL!"**_

More attacks hit Crowmon, and you could easily see that we were weakening it; bruises, cuts and gashes were appearing all over its body.

"ONE MORE TIME!"

 _ **"CHRONO BOW!"**_

 _ **"FIERY BLAZE!"**_

 _ **"CANNONBALL!"**_

Okay, it was nearly over with. Just one more hit, and it was done for!

"SILVSHOUTMON, LET'S DO THIS!"

"Right behind ya, Adrian!"

The two of us went right in front of the nearly defeated Crowmon. I summoned back my sword, and he got out his.

 _ **"X-"**_ I started

 _ **"OF-"**_ SilvShoutmon continued.

 _ **"VICTORY!"**_ Both of us finished as I slashed my sword one way, and SilvShoutmon slashed his another, making a big, glowing, red X appear in between us and Crowmon. We then, at the same time, slashed the X, making it fly foward and hit Crowmon directly. As soon as the following explosion ended, I saw Crowmon fall towards the ground.

"We did it!" Connor cheered. The four of us floated down towards the NOW unconscious Crowmon, Seina and an injured Hawkmon. SilvShoutmon and Dorugamon then turned back into their original forms.

"Now for the next part of our job," I told Connor, bringing him towards the defeated digimon. "You should be the one to do this. You can either straight-up kill Crowmon, or just destroy his corruption. Your choice."

Connor seemed to think about it for a minute, then stepped up. He extended his right hand, and a bunch of corrupted Chrono went from Crowmon straight to Connor's hand and formed a ball of dark energy, which he immediately crushed and destroyed.

"You did a good thing today..." Crowmon's deep voice rumbled, and he turned into another DigiDisc, which floated straight into Connor's hand.

"You might want to keep that," I told him. "It could be useful."

He smiled at me and nodded. "Thank you so much for helping. All of you. My family and I really appreciate it."

"I don't think your brother appreciates anything," Shoutmon scoffed. "He was arguing with me the whole time."

"Where did you put them, anyways?" Connor asked Shoutmon, crossing his arms.

"Don't worry, I didn't tie them up in a basement or anything; I just took them downtown. Just call them and they'll be come home."

Dorumon then walked up to us. "You still haven't told us what is happening in my world, yet, you know. You promised you'd tell us."

"I think Shoutmon would explain it better than me. Right, Shoutmon?"

"Alright, I'll tell them, but be warned if I start to sound like a broken record."

As Shoutmon explained the situation to Connor and Dorumon, I studied their reactions. The farther Shoutmon got into the story, the bigger their facial expressions got with terror. Shoutmon told them everything, about Zsalm, about how the digital world was a post-apocalyptic wasteland now, and how Zsalm had started to send digimon to the real world. Dorumon had told them that they... or, at least, HE... already knew about the Chronotic energy and Chrono-League, and told Connor and his family about it, so Shoutmon didn't touch on that at all.

"No fucking way..." Connor finally said after a moment of silence.

Dorumon was on the verge of sobbing. "Is... is the world really...?"

"Yes, it is, Dorumon," Shoutmon said in an apologetic tone. "I truly am sorry..."

"All my friends... my family... my home..." Dorumon then transitioned to full sobbing. I felt so bad for Dorumon. I'd definitely feel the same way if roles were flopped.

"You have my word," Dorumon said after he finally stopped sobbing, "that Zsalm is going to pay for what he did to us."

"If you and Connor join us," Shoutmon offered, "then that vow will definitely become a reality." Dorumon looked up at Shoutmon as his face formed a huge smile. "You have my genuine word."

Dorumon looked back at Connor. His eyes pretty much said it all. Connor must've known this, as well, and he nodded. "I guess we're all a team," Connor said.

"Yeah, I guess we are," I said back, with a smile.

"We exist, too... again!" Seina scolded us. "And Hawkmon's okay, not that anyone cares, apparently."

"Oh, crap!" All of us said at once. "Sorry, Hawkmon! How're you feeling?"

"Not bad," Hawkmon replied, "considering I got cut with nearly forty feathers." He then proceeded to pluck another sharp feather out of his side.

And everyone cracked up.

 _ **[Elsewhere...]**_

This world is the digital world.

You may have heard stories about it before, but those stories always had a positive image of this world. It used to be like the stories.

But not anymore.

What used to be a lush, green forest with many trees and different species of plant, was now a grey, desolate prairie, with nothing but dead grass, stumps, and a dark, misty sky.

A newly freed Crowmon was flying over this sky, just enjoying itself, when unfortunately, it was flying while Zsalm was feeling bored. He noticed this Crowmon, and used his signature shadow-forming moves to grab it with a giant shadow hand. He then pulled this Crowmon into his throne room; a stone, medieval castle in the middle of this digital world.

 **"So..."** Zsalm said, sitting in his human-sized throne chair. A dark shadow loomed over this area, so Zsalm could not be seen. **"You have failed me, Crowmon... How disappointing..."**

"Let go of me, you asshole," Crowmon rumbed. "I've been freed from your prisonment; I shall not serve you any longer."

 **"Yes, I see that,"** Zsalm coldy stated. **"It seems that kid and the pop star have gotten stronger... and I had one simple job for you..."**

"I never would've taken it if I wasn't under your control, you dick."

 **"Ah, yes, true..."** His shadow hand holding Crowmon had its grip tightened. **"But you were at the time, were you not?"**

"Hey, why is this hand getting tighter?"

 **"Just answer me: were you under my control?"**

Crowmon sighed. "Yes... yes, I was."

 **"Good, good..."** The grip got tighter. **"And I asked you to do a job, did I not?"**

"Yes, you did. You asked me to kill the kid and Shoutmon." The grip got even tighter. "Can't... breathe..."

 **"And you FAILED this job, did you not?"**

"I-I-I... yes." It was getting very hard for Crowmon to breathe now.

 **"And what happens to those who fail me? At a SIMPLE job, no less?"**

"N-nooo... please, dear-"

 **"They DIE!"** As Zsalm said this, the grip on the shadow hand got so tight, Crowmon's organs became flat, his bones snapped, and his body was not a bleeding mess. The shadow hand dropped the dead, bleeding digimon and vanished.

Crowmon had been squeezed to death. Zsalm looked at the other corrupted digimon under his control.

 **"And THAT is a warning to those who FAIL ME! YOU GOT THAT?!"**

 _"Yes, Lord Zsalm. We truly understand, our mighty lord. We shall not fail you."_

 **"You BETTER not!"** Zsalm yelled as his throne got a very brief glimpse of light, showing a man in a dark purple cloak, his face still hidden under the hood. **"Or else, there will be hell to pay..."**


	7. Episode 7: The Calm Before the Storm

(DISCLAIMER: I do **NOT** own the Digimon franchise, the digimon featured in this story, or the lyrics of the songs I use so you can go on YouTube and listen to them. All I own are the humans characters, and the concept of "Chronotic Energy.")

Hello there, my rightful viewers!

I have finally decided how I'm going to narrate the story, finally! I'm taking cues from "Digimon Xros Wars: Conquering the Flame" by NinSegaGamer (a story you should definitely check out; it's one of my personal favorties) and do what they do: from the perspective of our main hero(es) Adrian and Shoutmon... when they're in the scene. When they are not, it will shift to third-person.

Just wanted to clear that up, just in case it was jarring to suddenly see that. And by now, I probably bored you with my rambling. So let's get on with the chapter!

(Seriously, check out Conquering the Flame, it's an awesome read.)

 **Last time, on Digimon: Chrono!**

We met Connor Sicamore, a skater who, unlike our other heroes, bonded with a digimon five years ago!

Adrian had fallen from the sky, right into Connor's neighborhood! Luckily, Connor caught him before anything bad had happened.

Zsalm then sent Crowmon to attack and kill Adrian and his team! Unfortunately for Zsalm, the Chrono-Leaguers were too strong, and defeated his minion.

Connor officially joins the team, as well, after learning what is happening in the digital world.

 **...**

 _saa ryoute hiroge ano kumo wo koete_

 _niji no aachi kugutte_

 _mezasu basho e_

 _FLY AWAY!_

 **DIGIMON: CHRONO**

 _(mukaikaze datte dekai kabe datte oikaze matotte mezasu basho e)_

 _kimi ga soba ni iru kara_

 _I held you hand cuz you said_

 _"Take you to the shining place from a maze"_

 _kimi wo shinjite_

 _tsukanda sono te atatakakute_

 _mitsumeru sono hitomi ni kumori wa nakute_

 _kodoku wo tsumikasaneta omoi ga kareta daichi ni otoshita namida_

 _hitotsubu no shizuku ga hirogatte_

 _iro toridori no hana wo sakashiteku_

 _tsuyogari no naifu wo furimawashite_

 _kizutsukete_

 _kizutsuite_

 _kurayami de sakendeta_

 _ima hikari terasu ano sora no hate e_

 _kimi no te o tsukande hanasani you ni_

 _FLY AWAY!_

 _(mukaikaze datte dekai kabe datte_

 _oikaze matotte mezasu basho e)_

 _Boku ga soba ni iru kara_

 **Created by: Russell the Dragon**

 **...**

 **EPISODE 7: The Calm Before the Storm**

 _ **[Friday, September 23, 2016]**_

 _ **[2:30 PM]**_

 _ **[Woodland Senior High School]**_

I honestly couldn't believe what happened to me in the past two weeks.

It started off as another, predictable year in school, only harder this time. I was not prepared, at all, for the huge adventure that was going to unfold for me.

And to think, as soon as I met Shoutmon, I whacked his head.

These two weeks have been put to good use, after all the corrupted digimon (who me and my friends have decided to dub Corruptmon) have been defeated. Surprisingly, none have been sent here after the Crowmon fiasco.

Me, Shoutmon, Seina and Hawkmon, and Connor and Dorumon have been hard at work training ourselves, mastering our Chrono abilities, which we still haven't gotten to that point, yet. But we are definitely getting better!

For instance, we are having an easier time manuvering incoming attacks, and putting some variety in our Chrono attacks. Of course, the digimon themselves trained like crazy, as well. Shoutmon literally only stopped training at meal times, and after he ate his "fair share" (like ten hamburgers is fair) he immediately went back to training. He really has dedication to this upcoming war, doesn't he?

The real hard part about this whole thing was not telling my friends about this. Like, my school friends. Jake, Amy, Jessie, and a bunch more. I want to explain everything to them, especially since they wonder why I'm coming to school with sore muscles, and never able to hang out anymore.

I just want to tell them everything. But I can't. I can't drag any of them into this. I haven't seen what Zsalm himself does yet, but I have seen what the Corruptmon can do, and there is no way I'm dragging them into it.

The news has some idea of what's happening, though. The news stations never shut up about the so-called monster attacks, and when the next one will happen. I'm hearing kids at school whisper to each other about the attacks, and it's usually a bunch of bullshit spewing out of their mouths, especially if you have any idea what's going to happen.

I just hope this whole thing ends soon.

Anyways, my friends seem to be catching on to our schemes, I think. Shoutmon and I were at my locker, and I was grabbing my stuff to head out, when I saw Jake next to me.

"Hey, Adrian," Jake said with a smile. He had just recently got his braces off, too. "Are you doing anything tonight?"

"Yeah, sorry, Jake," I told him as I looked down at Shoutmon, who was rapidly shaking his head no. "I got, uh... studying to do."

"You never study," Jake caught onto my lie. "Besides, that's what you've been telling me and Amy for the past two weeks. You never have time to hang out with us. Is something going on?"

"No, nothing is happening. It's just that high school's tough, y'know?" I asked as I grabbed my backpack and started to leave. "But hey, maybe during our first break off of school, alright? Tell Amy I said hi!" I then ran towards the doors and to the buses.

"Ugh, I hate lying to my friends, Shoutmon," I told him as we got seated towards the back of the bus, Shoutmon getting the window seat.

"I know it sucks," Shoutmon told me, "but you have to understand why we can't tell any of them about us, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it, and I feel the same way. They can't get involved in this; only us, Seina, Hawkmon, Connor, Dorumon, and all the other Chrono-Leaguers we happen to meet can." I sighed, and looked downwards. "Still, though, they're going to find out eventually... especially if more Corruptmon happen to show up."

"You think it's hard for you?" Seina's voice rang through my ear, giving both me and Shoutmon double heart attacks. I looked up to see her and Hawkmon taking the seat in front of us.

"Why do you always appear out of nowhere?!" Shoutmon yelled, clutching his chest and breathing heavily.

"Oh, sorry about that," Seina apologized as she waved her hands. "I keep doing that for some reason. Anyways, I've been in America for three weeks, and you and Connor are the only friends I've made so far. All this training has prevented me from making any new friends at this school. Hell, you guys are the only ones who can remember my name."

"Oh yeah, you're from Japan, right?" I asked, mildly interested.

" _Hai_ ," she nodded her head, and I assumed that meant yes. " _Watashi wa Tōkyō kara seikaku ni kite imasu_."

I had absolutely no idea what she said. Even Shoutmon and Hawkmon looked confused, as they both stared at her and cocked their heads to the side.

"Seina?" Hawkmon tapped her. "Would you mind repeating that for us, please?"

" _Nani_?" Seina asked her partner. "Oh, _Gomenasai_. I sometimes forget that people here don't know Japanese. What I said was that I come from Tokyo, Japan, to be precise. Me and my father moved here three weeks ago."

"What about your mother?" I asked her. Her face suddenly went dark, and she looked down. "What? What did I say?"

"She..." Hawkmon said, sounding worried. "...she doesn't like talking about her. And after living with Seina for two weeks, and listening to what her mother did, I see why."

Seina suddenly looked at me and Shoutmon. " _Watashi wa hahaoya no tame ni jiko ai shite, bakageta, tawagotona iiwake ga daikiraidesu._ "

"Alright...?" I said.

"Trust me, you don't want to know what I said," Seina warned me. "Just know that it is not a nice thing to say about anyone, especially my mother."

"Then why did you say it, then?" Shoutmon asked her.

"Because it's how I feel, and it's the truth. My mother is a horrible person."

"What did she do, exactly?" I asked, "I mean, I know a lot of girls who hate their mothers, and it's all because of a petty annoyance, like getting grounded or that kind of crap."

"I don't want to talk about my mother, Adrian. You weren't there; you have no idea what she did." She didn't speak to us again until the bus made its first stop. "This is my stop. Make sure you two meet us at Connor's house at four. I'll talk to you later." She and Hawkmon then got up from their seat and got off the bus. I looked out the window to see where she lived. It was nice, but nothing special; Seina and Hawkmon lived in the local town houses behind an elementary school.

"Seina's mother must really be that bad," Shoutmon commented to no one in particular.

"Some people just aren't fit to be parents, Shoutmon. I guess her mother is one of them." I watched her house as the bus drove away, just wondering what her mother did to deserve all that hate from Seina.

 **...**

 _ **[Woodship Townhouses]**_

 _ **[2:40 PM]**_

"Are you feeling alright, Seina?" Hawkmon asked his partner as the two walked towards their house. "I understand how much your mother upsets you."

"I'm _komakai_ , just fine, Hawkmon," Seina responded casually. "That part of my life is over, and I'm happy now."

"Your early life almost sounded as bad as what us digimon had to go through with Zsalm."

"My mother is arguably even worse than him. I'm glad she's gone now. You won't have to suffer the same torment she gave to me."

Seina and Hawkmon walked up to her white and green townhouse and walked in through the front door, where they met up with her father, Kanbe Arikawa, as Seina took off her boots. Kanbe was very important in Seina's lifetime. He was the one who would show Seina _any_ love at all during his visits while she was still living with her mother, Rumiko Arikawa.

" _Okaerinasai, Seina._ (Welcome home, Seina,)" Kanbe greeted his daughter as she walked in. " _Kyō no gakkō wa dōdeshita ka?_ (How was school today?)"

" _Gakkō wa daijōbudatta, chichioya_ (School was just fine today, Father,)" Seina replied back as she and Hawkmon, in his hidden form, ran up the stairs to her room.

" _Isoide wa nandesuka, amai?_ (What's with the rush, sweetie?)"

Seina stopped midway up the stairs. " _Watashi wa kyō, ikutsu ka no tomodachi to deaimasu. Watashi wa dinātaimu ni ienikaerudeshou._ (I'm meeting up with some friends today. I'll be home by dinnertime.)"

" _Anata wa jissai ni tomodachi o tsukurimashita ka?_ (You actually made friends?)" Kanbe was nearly jumping for joy. " _Sore wa subarashīdesu! Watashi wa anata ni koko de ikutsu ka no kodomo-tachi o mitasudarou to itta!_ (That's amazing! I told you that you'd meet some kids here!)"

" _Mā, anata wa tadashī_ (Well, you were right,)" Seina added just to make her father feel good about herself.

" _Anata no yūjin no ie ni nanika-nori ga hitsuyōdesu ka?_ (Do you need a ride to your friend's house, by any chance?)"

" _Īe, īe, īe, chichioyadesu_ (No, no, no, that's fine, Father,)" Seina protested. " _Watashi wa norimono ga sudeni settoappu sa rete iru._ (I've got a ride set up already.)

" _Mā... Daijōbu, sonogo_ (Well... alright, then,)" Kanbe said, disappointed that his own daughter didn't want a ride from him. " _Sassoku chūi shite kudasai. Watashi wa mo~tsu to kazoku o ushinaitakunai... Tokuni anata._ (Please, just be careful. I don't want to lose more of my family... especially you.)"

"I..." Seina started to say, but then decided against it and continued running to her room with Hawkmon.

" _Watashi wa shitte iru, Seina. Shitte iru..._ (I know, Seina. I know...)"

Seina opened up her bedroom door. Her room was nicely decorated, even if she only lived here for three weeks. There weren't any posters, but there was a bed with purple sheets, a black wooden dresser with golden knobs, a light wood desk by her window, and even a closet for hanging up clothes and storing little knick-knacks. Seina lied down on her bed, while Hawkmon sat up near the end of it.

"Seina?" Hawkmon asked.

"Yes? What is it, Hawkmon?"

"What were you and your father talking about downstairs?"

"Oh, nothing," Seina casually responded. "Just the usual 'how was your day' and all that. Told him about meeting up at Connor's, minus the digimon and Chrono parts. Nothing... nothing too bad, really."

"Did he bring up your mother, Seina?"

Seina just remained silent, and lied there. She didn't want to continue this talk anymore.

"Again, I feel deeply sorry about what she did back in Japan. I could've saved you from that horrible woman, and-"

"Well, you didn't save me," Seina suddenly rose her voice. "Father did. Father was the one who saved me. You couldn't have known what that woman did until I told you." She lifted her head and gave a warm smile to Hawkmon. "It isn't your fault. You don't have to feel sorry for my bad childhood."

"I know, Seina, but I'm your partner now. It's my personal job to protect you."

"Trust me, while you're the nicest and bravest bird I've ever met, I don't need protecting. I can take care of myself."

"Clearly," Hawkmon snarkingly remarked. "No wonder you survived, then."

"If I had any siblings at all," Seina reminded Hawkmon, sitting up onto the bed and brushing away her pink and white hair, "they would've all died under her care. I'm lucky to even be here right now."

"Your experiences sound as bad as what happened to all of us a year ago." Hawkmon commented. "That's an absolutely horrible way to live."

"Yes, it was. But somehow, I still survived..." Seina closed her eyes and briefly reconciled her childhood back in Japan. Her mind filled with memories of a woman who looked a lot like her, as she held a knife in hand.

"Be a good girl, now..." the woman was saying in a dark tone, a sinister smile forming on her face. "...and I won't have to use this!"

"No, no, please, Mommy!" A six-year-old Seina sobbed, begging to her mother, "I will be a good girl! Please, don't kill me!"

"Then do your fucking chores, you little brat!" the woman screamed as she kicked the child as hard as she could, sending her back towards the couch in their living room. "You still have to do the laundry, wash the dishes, and cook our dinner, like a nice family!"

"But-but Mommy-"

"WHAT DID I SAY?!" The woman yelled, raising her knife above the little girl.

"Okay, okay, Mommy! I'll do it!" The child then began to cry as loudly as she could.

"You better do it. And remember, always remember, that Mommy loves you... as long as you do whatever Mommy says."

"Seina? Seina? Seina, wake up!" Seina was pulled out of her thoughts by Hawkmon. "You suddenly fell down onto the floor."

"I... I did?" Seina asked, rubbing her head and pulling herself up. "I was thinking about something..."

"More like dreaming about something," Hawkmon commented.

"What time is it?" Seina checked her phone. 3:50 PM.

" _Ā! Watashitachiha iku hitsuyō ga arimasu!_ Come on, Hawkmon!" Seina called as she ran out the door.

"I'm coming, Seina!" Hawkmon yelled as he went back to his disguise form and chased after her.

"Father! _Watashi wa ima shuppatsu shite iru!_ " Seina called out to her father, who was watching TV in the living room, as she put on her boots.

" _Sate, Seina,"_ Kanbe responded. "Be back by 7:30! And, for the love of God, _anzen'na mono ni suru_!"

"Don't worry, I'll be perfectly fine!" Seina half-fibbed. She was going to be fighting, but it was all in the name of training, after all. Seina went into a disguised form as well, and Chronovolved Hawkmon into Aquilamon, so she could ride on top of him and fly to Connor's house.

"Will you be alright to train today, Seina?" Aquilamon asked while they were flying. "You aren't going to suddenly collapse again, are you?"

"Don't worry about me so much, Aquilamon," Seina reassured her partner. "I'm going to be fine. Trust me, that was a fluke before."

"If you say so. Just hold on tight, so I know if you fall off or not."

"Hey, I'm not Adrian. I'm not going to fall."

"Adrian was just a mistake, so please don't bring that up again." Hawkmon hated knowing that he was responsible for almost killing a friend. He hates hurting people who he cares about. "Hey, you've been bringing Adrian up a lot lately, you know?"

"Have I?" Seina asked. She didn't think she brought him up THAT often. Sure, she'd joke about him, talk about the crazy stories he'd tell her and Connor, and even thought about hanging out with him for fun. Okay, maybe she DID bring him up that often. "Well, it's not like I have a crush on him or anything! Do I?"

"Hey, you tell me," Aquilamon mentally shrugged. "You're the one always going on and on about him."

"I do not, you stupid bird!" Seina playfully slapped Aquilamon's neck.

" _Seina and Adrian, sitting in a tree..."_ Aquilamon started singing. _"K-I-S-S-I-N-G"_

"That is never going to happen," Seina stated.

 _"First comes love, then comes-"_

"You can officially shut up now. We're here," Seina reminded Aquilamon as she pointed down to a familiar-looking roof. "Let's land in the back yard, just in case, alright?"

"You got it," Aquilamon proudly said, and under his breath, he said "Lover girl."

"I HEARD THAT!" Seina blushed, and Aquilamon laughed his ass off as they landed.

 **...**

 _ **[The Sicamore Household]**_

 _ **[3:52 PM]**_

"Are you sure you got those devices in your bag, Adrian?" I asked Adrian.

"Yeah, yeah, I got them," he replied. "Like I've been saying for the last ten times you told me. I wish you'd tell me what they are, or what they even do."

"I want to tell everyone at once, just so that I don't have to repeat myself."

"Okay, sure, and when I get a weird device you have no idea about, I'll keep it to myself until we all get together again. Sounds like a plan!"

"Adrian, I'm pretty sure that you can wait just a few more minutes." Don't get me wrong, I wanted to tell him what these devices do, but I absolutely hate repeating myself. I thought it was best to wait until the next training session.

Adrian and I walked up to the green door and knocked on it. When Connor's mother opened it, we were greeted to a wonderful smell. It was definitely a smell of food; trust me on that one.

"That smells so good!" I couldn't help but yell with a gleeful smile.

"Hello, Ms. Sicamore," Adrian said, chuckling. "Ignore him, he just... really loves food. That is a nice smell, though. What is it?"

"I'm making cookies," Ms. Sicamore told us with a laugh. "They're Tyler's favorite: chocolate with white chocolate chips. Or, at least, they used to be his favorite... Oh, I'm so sorry, come on in." She moved out of the way, and we walked in.

The house was really nice. In their living room, they have a huge TV, along with what the humans call a "video game console." Adrian has a few of those, as well, and he showed me what a video game was. It was alright, but I personally enjoy music more. And I was terrible at playing the actual game. The wood floors and white walls made the house stand out, as well, along with their couch, which had a knitted-like pattern on it.

"Now just to wait for Seina and Hawkmon," I said.

"It'd be more like Seina and Aquillamon, since she rides on him," Adrian told me.

"I am not in the mood to be corrected, Adrian," I told him.

"Aw, did you miss your ten lunches today? Is that why you're so grumpy?"

Was now really the time for Adrian to be such a smartass? Besides, it's closer to three or four lunches, but that is besides the point.

"Hey, hey, my dudes!" Connor said, sliding down the stair railing, and landing it, too. Dorumon tried coming down in the same fashion, but missed the landing and hit the wall.

"Owwww..."

"Oh, Dorumon, you alright?" Adrian asked, running over to help Dorumon up.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Dorumon muttered. "That's the last time I try doing that again."

"Oh, come on, Dorumon," Connor kneeled to Dorumon's height. "The same thing happened to me the first... fifty or so times I tried that."

"My husband and I kept asking him to stop," Ms. Sicamore laughed, "but he always insisted on going down the stairs that way. He's special, yes, he is."

"Aw, come on, Moms," Connor scratched the back of his head, clearly embarrassed.

"Oh, great," I heard another voice say. "Your stupid friends are here." I looked up the stairs and saw Tyler, who was Connor's extremely annoying little brother.

"Who are you calling stupid, you little punk?" I yelled at him.

"What are you gonna do, huh?" The annoying twat yelled.

"Oh, you really wanna know, kid?!" I walked towards him, seriously losing my temper at this point. "I'll show you what I'm gonna-" I was interrupted by Adrian grabbing me by the sides.

"Shoutmon, be nice," Adrian sternly told me, before whispering "even if he is a little prick."

"No, no, let him," Tyler said, actually smiling this time. "He's the only one who was actually going to DO something instead of stand there like a moron."

"Tyler," Connor said, "you know that isn't true."

Tyler glared at his brother. "Tell that to Dad, huh?" He then ran upstairs, I assumed to his room.

"Connor?" I asked. "What did he mean by that?"

I didn't get an answer, because as soon as I asked that, there was a knock at the door. Connor ran over to open it, and I saw Seina and Hawkmon walk in.

"Hey, you finally made it," Adrian happily said.

"Yep, that we did," Seina responded. She acted very strange, too. I looked at Hawkmon, and he seemed to have a smirk on his beak.

"Okay," I announced to everyone. "Now that we're all here, I have something to show you."

Adrian immediately knew what to do, and opened his backpack so that he could take out three watch-esque devices. He handed one to both Seina and Connor.

"Thanks," Seina said, "but what are these?"

"Ask Shoutmon," Adrian answered her. "He got these in yesterday, and he wouldn't tell me what they were. Something about repeating himself."

"These devices will be important," I told everyone with a confident smile. "They are called Chrono Watches."

" _Why does everything start with the word 'Chrono?'_ " I heard Adrian whisper to himself. Ignoring his question, I continued on.

"These Chrono Watches will be a big help in catching Corruptmon. They tell us if a Corruptmon has appeared in an area, and it can even tell you the names of each different types of digimon. And they can blend in, as well, as they look a lot like those 'Apple Watches' of this world."

"Really?" Connor laughed. "Who'd want to be caught dead with one of those?"

"I don't know," Seina said. "I think they look cool."

"Not to me. They're overpriced, the screen is way too small, and the idea is really stupid."

"ENOUGH!" I shouted so they'd stop arguing about ridiculous things. And it worked... maybe a bit too well, as Ms. Sicamore had to pop out and ask what was wrong.

"Anyhow," I continued on. "This watch will tell detailed info about different digimon, from the name, to type, and even to weaknesses, in some cases. It even comes with a map feature."

"Yeah, this is a good idea, Shoutmon," Adrian said as he put his Chrono Watch on his left wrist. "This will really be in handy when fighting Corruptmon. Which is another subject I want to bring up."

"Oh?" I asked, not knowing that Adrian wanted to discuss something today. "Well, go for it, then."

"I think Zsalm is planning something. Something big."

We all had to pause and stare at him. He continued talking.

"There hasn't been a single Corruptmon attack in two weeks. And by the way Shoutmon obsesses over him ("I do not obsess!" I interrupted,) Zsalm doesn't seem like the type to just give up like that. He's sending something huge towards us."

"That can't be," Seina spoke up. "Zsalm sent his best towards us, and we defeated them."

"That wasn't his best," Hawkmon told Seina. "I've personally seen first hand what Zsalm's best is. And it's horrifying."

"Adrian does have a point," I said. "The Greymon and Crowmon attack were most likely first tries at sending his forced slaves to this world. I think now is when he sends his true best at us."

"I have something to say as well," Seina raised her hand. "I don't think Zsalm is going to send his Corruptmon just to this small town. What if he attacks major cities, like New York City? London? Los Angeles? What can we do, then?"

"We aren't the only Chrono-League members in this world," I reassured her. "We have sent members to bond with humans all over the world. If any of those places get attacked, we just have to rely on those members to stop them. And we don't just choose anyone to bond with."

"You, Hawkmon and Dorumon bonded with kids," Adrian pointed out. "Granted, Dorumon wasn't in Chrono-League, but you and Hawkmon were. Why partner with us?"

"Bonding doesn't work like that, Adrian," I told him. "It doesn't just happen with any human. The human and digimon have to be compatible with each other, in a way, for the bond to actually work."

"Compatible... how?" Connor asked me.

"Personality wise, moral wise, all the wises," I simply told him.

"Yeah, that answers shit," Connor laughed.

"I still don't understand bonding myself, so ask Omnimon if you see him."

"Omnimon?" Adrian, Seina, Connor, and Dorumon asked. "Who's that?"

"Why, Omnimon is the leader of Chrono-League," Hawkmon responded.

"Yes, he is," I added, "and one of the few surviving members of Chrono-League after the first attack."

"...what happened to the other members?" Adrian managed to ask.

"It... it was horrible..." Hawkmon shuddered, and Seina rested her arms on him to calm him down.

"We got the wonderous joy of seeing their heads removed from their bodies," I bluntly stated. They all gasped in horror... even Dorumon.

"That isn't true... that can't be, right, Connor?" Dorumon asked his partner, voice shaking in absolute terror.

"Yeah, yeah, it can't be," Connor agreed. "They're just trying to scare us with horror stories. They never really happened."

"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT?!" Hawkmon and I yelled at the exact same time, scaring everyone else.

"You think this stuff never happened?!" I angrily asked Connor, slowly walking towards him. "You think all the suffering, the horror, the pain we all experienced, was all just a story? Well, then, let me ask you this..." I was now nose to nose with Connor.

 **"WHY ARE WE EVEN TRYING TO FIGHT ZSALM IN THE FIRST PLACE?!"**

"I... I..." Connor stammered, freaked out by my sudden outburst.

"Shoutmon..." I heard Adrian say. "Hey, I think the cookies should be done by now."

"Cookies?!" I asked, my mind suddenly filled with cookies. "Let's go then; I'm starving!"

"You have got to be kidding me," Seina said. "One minute, he's all serious, and now he's excited over cookies."

"He's dedicated," Adrian told her, "but he's also easily distracted."

"Great choice of partner, there, Adrian," Seina giggled.

"I'm not exactly in the mood for cookies right now," Connor said, "but you all go ahead."

"I don't want cookies, either," Dorumon spoke up.

"Actually," Adrian spoke up. "I think we should cancel training today, for obvious reasons. We'll just take some cookies and go home."

"I agree," Connor said. "It's probably not a good idea to train today, with what just happened and all."

Adrian glared at me as he walked to the kitchen to grab our share of cookies. I guess I shouldn't have freaked out like I did, but I couldn't help myself. That day was horrible for me. It was the day I had to start fighting for my life. The day I lost my sister.

"Shoutmon?" Seina tapped on my shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I turned and looked up at her. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Tears are running down your eyes, and you're sobbing," she answered me. I wiped the tears from my eyes and looked away.

"Look, man," Connor walked next to me. "I'm sorry about what I said. It's just... what you said sounded so horrible. It couldn't possibly have happened."

"Well, it did," I bitterly told him. "I lost my sister that day."

Connor's eyes widened. "You... you what?"

"Come on, Shoutmon," Adrian called out to me, grabbing his backpack and holding a small bag of cookies. "We better get going. See you all later."

"Goodbye," Seina and Connor said to Adrian as he walked out the front door, with me walking with him.

"I'm very angry with you," Adrian told me. "You don't just freak out like that. That's a very good way to make people scared of you." He took a deep breath.

"Trust me on that one."


	8. Episode 8: A Day at the Movies

(DISCLAIMER: I do **NOT** own the Digimon franchise, the digimon featured in this story, or the lyrics of the songs I use so you can go on YouTube and listen to them. All I own are the humans characters, and the concept of "Chronotic Energy.")

Now, WHO'S READY FOR A FILLER EPISODE?!

...

( _"Not me!"_ )

Well, fuck off then!

No, I'm kidding, I'm kidding, I... wait, don't go! NO! WAIT! NOOOOOOOO!

Now no one's here to read this... oh, well, I'm gonna tell it anyway, so for those who ARE here, sit down, shut up, and eat your veggies, because welcome back... to Digimon: Chrono!

It's a short one, and not that exciting, but after all the crap our heroes went through, I think they deserve this. Besides, after this chapter, a pretty epic arc is in the works...

 **...**

 **Episode 8: A Day at the Movies!**

 _ **[Woodland Rivers, United States]**_

 _ **[Friday, September 23, 2016]**_

 _ **[4:38 PM]**_

"What the hell was wrong with you today, Shoutmon?!" I yelled at my partner as we walked into my bedroom. We had just got back from Connor's house, where Shoutmon decided to go psycho-crazy and scare pretty much everyone in the house. Plus he almost beat up Connor's younger brother, but I don't care about that right now. That kid is a huge pain in the ass.

"Hey, it's not my fault that Connor disrespected our world by saying we're all a big bunch of liars," Shoutmon fought back. What a smart mouth.

"And I don't blame him. In fact, when we met, I didn't believe any of your bullshit."

"OUR SITUATION IS NOT BULLSHIT!"

"And THERE YOU GO AGAIN! You are SUCH a winner today, Shoutmon."

"Oh, go to hell, Adrian."

"I'm already there! I'm stuck with a digimon who's head explodes with anger like a volcano every five minutes!"

"You would be upset, too, if Zsalm took YOUR family!"

"WE GET IT; YOU ALL HAD A TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE. Let's MOVE ON now!"

"Oh, like how all of you humans can just move on from, say, the Holocaust?"

"How did you find out about... nevermind, you got me there. But guess what? Unlike SOME creatures, WE don't freak out every time someone MENTIONS things like that."

"Compared to what Zsalm did, it'd beat out the Holocaust in fifteen seconds."

"Doesn't change that you just made everyone afraid of you tonight," I finished before lying down on my bed. At this point, I just wanted to take a nap. I am absolutely tired of the whiny, volcanic attitude Shoutmon has had as of late.

"Adrian," I heard Shoutmon's voice say, "I... I really am sorry."

"Sorry, sorry, sorry, it's what you say over and over. You think sorry's going to fix your freak out today?"

"No, I dont. It would be naive and stupid of me to think that."

"Well, naive and stupid is what you are, after all," I retored back. "Look, the only way to make something like this up, is promise - and STICK TO that promise - that it will never happen again, no matter what anyone does or says."

"I promise, Adrian," Shoutmon pleaded. "I truly promise."

"Good," I replied, sitting upwards on my bed. I reached into the bag of cookies I brought home from Connor's and started to eat one. "Now I need to find a way to make it up to the others." I reached into the bag again and tossed a cookie to Shoutmon, which he ate with joy.

"Maybe... you could buy them something?" Shoutmon suggested, his mouth full of chewed cookie.

"First of all, don't talk with your mouth full," I said. "Second, I don't know if a physical gift will be enough." Suddenly, the lightbulb in my head went off. "AHA!" I yelled as I quickly stood up, causing Shoutmon to lose his balance. "I can take them to a movie!"

"What's a movie?" Shoutmon asked me.

Imagine a cartoon version of me, preferably anime. Got it? Okay, now imagine that me having his jaw stretching out so far that it hits the floor. That was my reaction to what Shoutmon says.

"Okay," I started to say, "you digimon don't go to the bathroom, have video games, or movies, but you somehow have computers and music?"

"Yeah, that's right," Shoutmon nodded.

"People are going to think I'm on drugs if I tell anyone this story," I said out loud. After a few seconds, my eyes bulged out of my skull. "Oh, god, you have drugs in the digital world?"

"Sadly, yes," Shoutmon sighed. "And they have just as bad of an effect as this world."

"...do I even want to know what kind of drugs?"

"Not even a little bit."

"Alright, moving on," I said with two thumbs up. "So, like I was saying, maybe we should all just take a day to relax and go see a movie at the theater."

"And then I asked you what a movie was."

"Yeah, yeah, we got there," I brushed that comment off. "If you guys don't have movies, do you have plays at all?"

"Well, yes, we do," Shoutmon nodded.

"A movie is the same thing, except it's on a bigger screen, and they can do more with it, since it's being recorded. There's loads of different types of movies. Drama, action, comedy, horror, whatever you're in for!"

"Hey, that actually sounds really cool," Shoutmon said, his voice getting louder with excitement.

"Yeah, but some movies are... how do I put this... absolute garbage." I started listing off some of the world's worst movies. X-Men: Origins, Batman and Robin, all those Movie parodies, and more.

"What's a parody?" Shoutmon asked after I was done.

Of all the movies he wanted to know about, those were the types he chose.

"Don't get me started on them," I moaned. "A true parody is mocking something in a light-hearted fashion, and having it be funny. What THESE movies do, however, isn't parody. At all. All they do is take the plot of other movies, make them dumb, and throw in equally dumb references of other movies, usually in some form of theme. And they try to make it 'cool' by throwing in every dirty joke and swear word they could think of."

"Yeesh, that does sound bad."

"The worst of the lot is Disaster Movie, in my opinion, but I only made it halfway through, for one reason in particular."

"And that reason is?" Shoutmon asked, curiously. I got out my phone and searched "Alvin and the Chipmunks." I got an image, and showed it to Shoutmon.

"This looks dumb," he told me, "but I don't see anything wrong with it."

"That's how they're supposed to look in their own movies," I informed him, taking back my phone. Hands shaking, I then typed "Disaster Movie" at the beginning of my previous search. I forgot how creepy those freaky rabie chipmunks actually were. I got an image (as well as a nightmare) and gave the phone back to Shoutmon.

And he pretty much reacted how I expected him to. By that, I mean he freaked out and dropped the phone.

"Oh, god, that's disturbing," he stated. He honestly looked like he wanted to throw up.

"I've had to deal with that since I was, like, ten," I told him. "I got the worst nightmares from THIS version of what is supposed to be a kids franchise alone."

"What is even wrong with those things, anyways?" Shoutmon asked me.

"They're supposed to have rabies, because 'haha, chipmunks get rabies in real life.'"

"Animals with rabies shouldn't get fat... or have their eyes turn freakishly red."

"I agree, Shoutmon. I agree."

"So, what 'movie' were you thinking we all see? A movie sounds really interesting."

"Well, let's go online and find out," I suggested while sitting in my office chair. I started typing the name of my local movie theater, and searched showtimes. I searched through a list of movies they were showing this weekend, and most of them looked pretty terrible. But then, I saw one that I thought looked interesting, and saw that it got good reviews.

"How about this one?" I suggested, pointing at the screen.

"I don't even know movies," Shoutmon shrugged. "Maybe you should call the others and ask them."

"Okay, I'll do that in a little bit. Don't worry, you're going to really like going to the movie theater."

"Yeah, yeah," Shoutmon said, a bit unenthusiastically. Then I heard him whisper something. "I just wish Musimon could come as well."

"What was that, Shoutmon?"

"What was what? I didn't say nothing, nope nope nope."

"Alright...?" I didn't want to ask anymore questions at the moment.

By one o'clock, tomorrow, our partners were about to see their very first movie.

 _ **[Saturday, September 24, 2016]**_

 _ **[10:32 AM]**_

You know what a nice way to wake up is? No, it's not an alarm clock, or the ending to a nice dream, or even waking up to the fresh smell of breakfast.

What is it then, you ask?

Getting punched in the gut by a digimon.

NOT.

Well, that's exactly what happened. It was in the middle of a nice dream, too, when I suddenly feel impact in my torso area, followed by extreme pain.

"Was... that... necessary?" I asked the nuisance that sucker punched me, in between breaths.

"Yes, it was," Shoutmon nodded. "Whenever your alarm goes off, you usually sleep in. If I punch you, then you'll actually wake up faster. Good idea, right?"

"Yeah, best idea ever," I said sarcastically, my gut still in extreme pain. "Want me to return the favor?"

"Uh-oh," Shoutmon said before putting on his Chrono disguise and running out my bedroom door.

I layed in bed for another half hour until that pain went away, and almost falling asleep at one point, before getting back up and doing my usual morning routine. After I got my clothes on, I decided to get some breakfast. Mom had made cherry muffins earlier that morning.

"Oh, those look so good," Shoutmon said, tongue sticking out and drool spilling onto the floor.

"Oh, they do, don't they?" I asked. I decided to play around with him. "Since you punched me this morning, you don't get any."

"WHAT?!" Shoutmon practically screamed, and I heard his stomach gurgle lightly. "But I'm hungry!"

"You're always hungry," I told him. "I doubt a muffin will be enough for YOUR appetite." I looked at him, and his eyes looked almost exactly like what my cats do when they want something.

"Calm down, Shoutmon, I was only joking," I reassured him as I grabbed a muffin and tossed it at him, which he perfectly caught. "Come on, let's watch some TV before the movie today. You DO know what TV is, right?"

"Of course we do!" Shoutmon cheered. "TV really isn't my thing. My preferred media is music."

"Then you're going to be REALLY bored at the movie. It's pretty much like watching two hours of TV."

"Never said I disliked it, did I?"

"Got me there."

 _ **[12:50 PM]**_

 _ **[River Township Theater]**_

"So, where are they?" Connor asked Seina as they sat on a bench outside of Woodland Rivers' local and most popular movie theater, while their digimon played around in disguised forms.

"He shouldn't take too long," Seina said. "He really sounded like he wanted to see a movie with us."

"He better," Connor retored, "as his digimon lashed out at me yesterday. Totally not cool.

"Well, you did kind of insult him and his kind. Zsalm was a horrifying moment for them."

"That's what I'm saying. It sounded so horrifying, it has to be made up."

"You know," Seina stood up and looked down at Connor, "our world has had events equally as horrifying as Zsalm. World War ll, the Holocaust, Black Plague. Maybe you should be more considerate towards the digimon. You don't know what they went through; no human ever will."

"I..." Connor was about to say, when he saw something coming down the street towards them.

It was me and Shoutmon, riding a bike.

"Adrian!" I heard Seina call out, waving her right arm. Hawkmon and Dorumon ran up to them, just to say hi to us.

"Hey there!" Me and Shoutmon called out to our friends. We stopped at the bike rack outside of the theater and walked towards them.

"So, ready for the movie?" I asked.

"Hell yeah," Connor cheered. His face suddenly got dark as he turned to Shoutmon. "Hey, Shout, about last night... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted like that."

"No worries," Shoutmon reassured Connor. "I acted out of line, as well. Zsalm is a... difficult subject for me. For all digimon."

"So... you forgive me?"

Shoutmon nodded his head "yes."

"Sweet! Now come on; let's get our popcorn. You all have your tickets, right?"

Seina and I responded by holding up the tickets we had bought online. Shoutmon, Dorumon and Hawkmon went into their disguised forms so they wouldn't be seen by anyone but us.

"Alright, then let's get our popcorn and soda!"

"Seina?" Hawkmon asked his partner as we walked inside the theater.

"Yes, Hawkmon?"

"What is a 'soda?'"

I will never forget the look on Seina's face. It was like a mixture of "What the hell?" and "Seriously?" It was so hilarious!

"Soda is this, like, really tasty drink," Dorumon explained to them. I almost forgot he was here five years longer than the others, so he's more experienced in human things than them. "There are many different kinds and flavors. It's different from other drinks because it kind of burns your tongue a little."

"Because of its carbonation," I added, so they wouldn't think that we drink something akin to lava.

"That actually sounds good," Shoutmon said.

"Yes, I agree," Hawkmon nodded. "Can you get 'sodas' for us as well, Seina? Adrian?"

"We'll each share a soda with our partners," I suggested. We walked up to the counter, ordered our popcorns and sodas (I personally got Mountain Dew. Seina went with lemon lime, and Connor got root beer) and we headed to the screening room.

We found a section of the room that was completely empty, so we went there. We sat in a perfect line, which went like this, from left to right: Me, Shoutmon, Connor, Dorumon, Seina, Hawkmon.

"Now, remember," I told the digimon, "it's not polite to talk throughout the movie. We can whisper at points, but please, don't be too loud."

"When am I ever loud?" Shoutmon joked. "Seriously, we'll be quiet, don't worry."

"Shhhh," Seina shushed us, holding a finger to her mouth. "The previews are starting."

 _ **[2:45 PM]**_

Overall, the movie was actually really good. It was just some dumb action film, with loads of vehicle sequences, gun fights, and chase scenes (as well as a building or two exploding) but a really good dumb action film. I could tell Seina was a bit bored at points, but she was happy with the movie as well.

Connor, however, loved every second of it. Action films must be his genre, I guessed.

It was sort of a bad idea giving the digimon soda, however. The sugar must've made their motor functions shift into overdrive, and Shoutmon and Hawkmon kept hopping up and down in their seats. After the movie ended, they literally RAN OFF, leaving us to chase them.

In fact, that's what we were doing now, outside of the theater.

"Shoutmon!" I called out. "Where are you?"

"Hawkmon?" Seina yelled, looking behind every bush. "Hawkmon, please come out. It is time for us to go home now."

"We should've never given them soda..." Connor scratched his head.

"Agreed," I told him. "They might've actually paid attention to the movie if we haven't."

"I don't understand," Dorumon said. "I can handle soda just fine. I've never gone crazy like that... have I, Connor?"

"For the first few times, yes," Connor told him. Dorumon then looked downwards in disappointment.

"Guys, that bush is moving," Seina called us, pointing towards a bush outside the theater. We walked up to it very slowly.

"Could it be one of them?" I whispered.

"It has to be," Seina responded quietly, and continued to walk towards the bush. She readied her hands, and grabbed whatever was inside the bush.

"Hey, let go of me!" Shoutmon was yelling, frantically moving his arms and legs.

"Where are the others?" I asked a sugar high Shoutmon.

"Let me go, and I'll tell you!" Shoutmon said. As much as I signaled Seina to not do it, she of course puts him down.

"See ya, suckers! HAHAHA!" Shoutmon laughed as he ran off at a ridiculously fast speed.

"Oh, you son of a bitch," I said as I chased after him. "Go after the others! I'll see you tomorrow!" I yelled to Seina and Connor as I ran off.

"Well, that's one down, if Adrian manages to catch him, at least," Connor said. "How much you wanna bet that Shoutmon will eventually tire out Adrian?"

"How about five thousand Yen?" Seina suggested.

"What?"

"Oh, sorry, I mean fifty American dollars."

"Deal."

"Oh, YOOHOO!" The two teens heard an accented voice call out. "Over here!" The two then turned around, the opposite direction of the theater, and saw Hawkmon standing in the parking lot, shaking his butt at them.

"Seina, you can't get me!"

Seina looked like she wanted to just curl up in a ball and die, with how red she got. If Hawkmon wasn't in disguised form, Connor would've recorded him on his phone.

"Well, that's my cue," Seina softly said. "I'll catch you later, Connor." Seina ran after her booty-shaking digimon, who ran off as soon as Seina went after him.

"Hahahaha," Connor laughed. "I guess it's just us now. Come on, buddy, let's get home."

"But shouldn't we help the others?" Dorumon asked. "I mean, it is our fault that they became like this."

"Nah, they got it. Besides, there's this epic jump I want to show you. I want to get there before other skaters discover it. Come on!"

And with that, Connor grabbed his skateboard and rode off with Dorumon.

 _ **[2:20 AM Human Time]**_

 _ **[Zsalmopolis, Digital World]**_

 **"Hmmmm,"** Zsalm hummed to himself while he was sitting in this throne room, thinking. **"I need some way to show those pesky humans... and especially that pop star... that I'm not to be messed with."**

 **"My Lord,"** a humble servant of Zsalm said. This one was wearing a robe, similar to Zsalms. **"I do not understand your obsession with a couple of humans. It's Chrono-League you should be worried about.**

Zsalm started to growl with anger. **"You fool... they ARE Chrono-League. If I defeat them, then Chrono-League will be another step closer to surrendering."**

 **"But..."** Zsalm's follower started to say, but she sighed and gave up. **"Alright, my Lord. Do as you must."**

 **"Oh, I found a way..."** Zsalm said, scarily happy. **"I found a way to lure them..."** Zsalm raised his hand, and opened a portal to the human world. And this portal was special. It led to a random bedroom in Woodland Rivers.

Jessie Anners' bedroom. With Jessie lying down in it.

 **"...to me."**


	9. Episode 9: Journey to the Digital World

(DISCLAIMER: I do **NOT** own the Digimon franchise, the digimon featured in this story, or the lyrics of the songs I use so you can go on YouTube and listen to them. All I own are the humans characters, and the concept of "Chronotic Energy.")

Time for the first (or is it second?) official arc to Digimon Chrono! I just want to say thanks to all of you that read the filler chapter. And yes, I admit that it's filler, but hey, these characters deserve it!

Seriously, this arc is gonna get crazy.

Now, without further adieu, time for episode 9... of DIGIMON: CHRONO!

 **...**

 **EPISODE 9: Journey to the Digital World!**

 _ **[Saturday, September 24, 2016]**_

 _ **[3:10 PM]**_

"That is the last time you are ever getting soda again, Shoutmon," I angrily growled as I dragged my struggling digimon partner by the tail with my left hand inside my house, with him squirming and trying to get free.

"Come on, let me go!" Shoutmon complained, trying to struggle himself free. "This is unfair!"

"What's unfair," I said back to him, "is me with a freaking bite on my hand and having to explain that to my parents, which will most likely mean I have to go to the hospital." I looked at my right hand, which was still bleeding greatly from when Shoutmon bit me.

You don't want to know that story.

"Maybe something in the soda is what caused you and Hawkmon to go cuckoo-bananza. It must be the caffeine."

"There is nothing wrong with me," Shoutmon fought back. "I'm perfectly fine!"

"Tell that to my hand," I responded as I threw him onto my bed. "I think what you need right now is a good, long nap."

"But I'm not tired!" Shoutmon complained. "You can't make me sleep, you can't-"

He didn't get to finish. I punched him in the face so hard, he was knocked out immediately. Chrono-strength can come in handy, in most cases.

I sighed, and sat down next to the sleeping Shoutmon on my bed. I got out my phone and started texting Seina.

 **Me:** _Hey. Just brought shoutmon home and put him in bed. You?_

A minute or so later, I got a response.

 **Seina:** _Still trying to chase Hawkmon. You do not want to know what he's doing._

Huh? That statement just wanted me to know more.

 **Me:** _I think I do. Cmon tell me._

 **Seina:** _He's constantly shaking his butt at me and taunting me._

This made me break down in a fit of giggles and quiet laughter, in hopes of not waking up Shoutmon. The self-concentration for that was extremely difficult, though.

 **Me:** _Huh. Very un-Hawkmon thing to do. He usually acts fancy._

 **Seina:** _He's not fancy. He's just very polite, and has proper manners. That soda is definitely doing something to him. Never making that mistake again._

 **Me:** _Knock him out the first chance you get, and wait until he wakes up. Should bring him back to normal._

 **Seina:** _Thanks adrian :)_

 **Seina:** _Oh crap hes running into traffic ill call u later_

That last message made me giggle a little bit. The soda must've made the digimon stupid as well. Hawkmon, of all digimon, to run out into traffic willingly? I would pay to see that video.

Oh, that's right, my hand is still bleeding. Damn Shoutmon. I went into the bathroom and searched for something I could wrap around my hand. Luckily, I found some gauge, and there was just enough to cover the bite and stop the bleeding. Now to wait until my parents ask about why my hand is bandaged and red soaked.

That's going to be so much fun.

I laid down on my bed with my feet touching the carpet, and rested my eyes. Chasing Shoutmon around actually kind of drained me a little bit.

Ten minutes later, however, my phone rang. I looked at it and saw that it was a text from Connor.

 **Connor:** _Hey, man! Got Shouts yet?_

Shouts? Oh yeah, Shoutmon. Is he really going to call him that?

 **Me:** _Yeah, but I had to whack him just to knock him out. Fingers crossed he'll be normal again when he comes to._

 **Connor:** _Oh, that's great! I wanted to see if you needed any help. I just finished showing Dorumon this epic jump close to my house._

 **Me:** _No i dont need it. Seina might tho. She just texted me how hawkmon was running into upcoming traffic._

 **Connor:** _Whoa, thanks for telling me. I better get going to her. Catch ya later, adri._

After this point, I turned off my phone so no one could disturb me, and lied down on the bed so I could take a nap. A nap sounded like a good idea at the time.

 **...**

 _ **[9:21 PM]**_

I was just sitting on my bed, looking at Facebook on my smartphone when Shoutmon finally started to come to.

"Feeling better now?" I asked Shoutmon after he woke up from his surprising nearly six hour nap.

"Yeah... yeah, I'm fine," Shoutmon said, rubbing the back of his head. He turned and looked at me, confused. "Was I sick or something? Why are you asking me that?"

"You don't remember?" I asked. "Anything about the movie?"

"No, not a thing," Shoutmon answered. "All I remember is taking a sip of that soda, and everything's a total blur after that."

"Well, you're never having soda again, that's for sure. But don't worry, we'll see a movie again sometime."

Shoutmon started to laugh. "What happened today reminds me of a time back in the digital world, when it was still a beautiful place. I was with my sister at the time, and despite being underaged, I conviced her to come with me to this one bar. That night has long since left my memory, and the only thing I remembered after that was waking up in a random Renamon's bathroom, while I was wearing a blue speedo." Shoutmon continued to laugh. "She literally throws me out, and I see Musimon hanging from a telephone wire. We still have no idea what happened."

I began laughing along with Shoutmon. "Wow, that's some pretty crazy story," I said. "It sounds like you had a good life back in the digital world."

"Well, the life of a pop star is automatically a good life."

"Oh yeah, you were a pop star back in the digital world," I stated. "Can you sing me a song right now?"

"Oh, definitely," Shoutmon nodded with a huge smile. He got off of the bed and walked to the center of the room as he switched back into his disguised form, so that my parents couldn't hear him. He summoned his microphone staff, and began to sing.

 _"Switch on the sky and the stars glow for you,_

 _Go see the world 'cause it's all so brand new,_

 _Don't close your eyes, 'cause your future's ready to shine!_

 _It's just a matter of time_

 _Before we learn how to FLYYYYYY!_

 _WELCOME to the rhythm of the NIIIIGHT!_

 _There's something in the air you can't DENYYYYYyyyy!_

 _It's been fun but now I've got to go!_

 _Life is way to short to take it slow!_

 _But before I go and hit the ro-o-oad,_

 _I gotta knoooow... 'til then,_

 _When can we do this again?_

 _(Oh oh oh oh)_

 _When can I see you again?_

 _(Oh oh oh oh)_

 _When can we do this again?_

 _(Oh oh oh oh)_

 _I gotta KNOOOOW... WHEN CAN I SEE YOU AGAIN?"_

Wow... no wonder he was a pop star. Shoutmon has an amazing voice! I could definitely see him on a big stage, with thousands of adoring fans cheering for him.

"WHOOO!" I cheered as I gave him a standing ovation, which he responded by bowing. "That was amazing, Shoutmon!"

"Thanks, Adrian," Shoutmon said, his face blushing. "But I wasn't alone during my days as a singer. I had my sister with me, and we were stars together We were an unbreakable duo. You should've heard us both sing!"

"Musimon... that's your sister, right?" I asked him. "From your world?"

"Yes, she is," Shoutmon confirmed, slowly nodding his head. "I lost her during the first day of Zsalm's attack. We were trying to escape the city, but we were cornered by some of Zsalm's first followers."

"And... do you know what happened to her?"

"That's the thing... I'm not entirely sure. She may have been corrupted, because the last time I saw her, she was covered in that dark mist. But she may also be dead as well, as Zsalm treats his followers as disposable helping machines."

Wow... Shoutmon's life was pretty much perfect, and then Zsalm attacked. His life fell apart along with every other digimons'. And to add insult to injury, he lost his own sister. If Aaron had just suddenly disappeared, I'd feel extremely crappy as well. But then, I got an idea.

"Shoutmon?" I asked. "You say you think Musimon's been corrupted, right?"

"Either that," Shoutmon said, "or she's dead. But yes, that's what I said."

"Well, if she is just corrupted, then we can go and save her. We can literally absorb and destroy Zsalm's corruption from other digimon. We can go into your world, and-"

"Go where?!" Shoutmon suddenly yelled, making me flinch in fear.

"Y-y-your world?" I stammered. Shoutmon then pushed me onto the bed, and hopped onto my torso.

"You listen to me," Shoutmon warned me. "My world is an inhabitable landscape now. Going there will SURELY get us either killed, or ending up as one of Zsalm's minions. We will NOT be going into the digital world, by any means. Got that?"

"But what about your sister?" I asked. "Surely, you have to be worried about her. She's one of Zsalm's minions somewhere, and we can save her. Don't you want to do that?"

"Musimon would've wanted me to live on," Shoutmon responded, "instead of getting myself killed. There is no way I am going back to the digital world, unless it is with a huge army to defeat Zsalm. And like I said, she could be dead, and we risked our lives for nothing. Are we clear?"

So, what I got was that this guy would rather hide like a coward instead of going to save his sister? The only blood family he has left?

"Oh, that is so rich, coming from you," I said.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Remember when we first met? And I refused to help you because I didn't want to die? Well, guess what? That's what you're doing now."

"This is completely different, Adrian."

"How so? You told me we eventually have to fight Zsalm anyways."

"When we're READY! We are clearly not ready yet."

"You know what? Let's just sleep on it. I'm not in the mood for another fight. Thanks for the song, Shoutmon. Now goodnight." Before he could respond, I was under the covers and beginning to fall asleep.

 **...**

I slowly open my eyes and saw that I was not in my room anymore. Instead, I was in some weird, dark place. It was nothing but grey, concrete-like dirt for miles, with dark purple clouds acting as a sky.

I immediately got up with amazing speed and looked around. Where was I? And how did I get here? Oh, where is Shoutmon when you need him?

"Hello?" I called out. Obviously, there was no response. "Is anyone out there? I... I'm pretty sure I'm lost."

 **"Oh, don't worry about that, young Adrian,"** I suddenly heard a dark, deep, menacing voice. It seemed to come from everywhere at once. I slowly backed up after hearing this voice.

"Who... who are you?" I asked, trying so sound as confident as I could, even though I was truly terrified.

 **"Oh, there's no need to hide it. I know you're afraid. I can sense it. Smell it. FEEL it."** As I was backing up, I felt a tap on my right shoulder. That caused me to nearly piss and shit myself, as well as turn around.

The monster was truly horrifying. It was as big as two Greymon, and seemed to be made of what the sky was made of, except... darker. His eyes and mouth were bright yellow, while his nose was bright orange, and looked a lot like a nose a lizard would have.

A very, VERY horrifying lizard.

"Who the hell are you?" I asked this creature.

 **"I am known as Zsalm,"** it began to say, starting to rub his hands, which looked like claws more than anything. **"But I am confident that you have heard of me, no?"**

Oh fuck. Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap. This was Zsalm, the thing Shoutmon despises so much. And now I see why. This guy was so ugly.

"I'm sorry, but can I see your face please?" I asked Zsalm. "Your butt's nice and all, but I'd rather talk to the other end."

This was pretty much a mistake on every level. Zsalm growled in anger at my stupid joke and smacked me with his right claw, which sent me flying a few dozen feet back.

"Owwww... was my joke seriously that bad?" As soon as I got up, I was greeted by that same ugly face yet again. I was smart enough to keep my mouth shut this time.

 **"Oh? Got nothing to say this time?"** Zsalm teased. **"No jokes?"**

"Look, assface," I told him, "what the hell and I doing here? And what do you want with me?"

 **"Oh, you're perfectly fine,"** Zsalm said. **"I am just invading your dreams for a quick moment to tell you something... of dire importance."**

Dire importance? "What the fuck did you do?" I growled at the being.

 **"Now, now, let's not jump to conclusions,"** Zsalm chuckled. **"I'm not going to do anything to your little Chrono-League friends... yet."** Suddenly, a weird portal appeared, floating above the palm of his left claw, which he lowered down to me. **"...but that also leaves your friends oblivious to the digital world in my hands."** The portal then showed something I was not expecting, or wanting, to see.

It was Jessie, locked up in a cage, trying her hardest to try and break out.

"YOU LET HER GO RIGHT NOW, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" I screamed, summoning my sword.

 **"Please, that toothpick wouldn't even give me a cut,"** Zsalm bragged. **"I can wipe you out in two swipes. But, there is a way you can save her..."**

"Tell me! NOW!" This freak was not going to hurt my friend. AT ALL.

 **"What I want you to do is bring me the heads of your digimon friends. Then we'll see what your friend's fate is."**

I honestly couldn't believe what I was hearing. If I wanted to save a childhood friend, I'd have to behead the digimon. And he really expected me to just do what he said?

"I won't do it," I shouted. "They're my friends, and I don't go back on friends."

 **"Oh, but by refusing, you're going back on your friend in the cage. And besides, are they REALLY your friends?"** I kept listening to what he had to say. **"Think about it; you only knew them for two weeks. How can you be certain that they are your friends? And the digimon... they are not human, as much as you would like to think. Not only that, they are nothing but data. Killing a digimon is as wrong as killing mosquitos, is it not?"**

"No, it's not the same! Digimon have their own lives and dreams, just like us humans. Killing a digimon is equally as wrong as killing another human... but I guess life is meaningless to you, isn't it, asshole?"

 **"Now, now, now... words like that will shorten your caged friend's lifespan in no time. To show that I'm not truly evil, I'll give you some time to think. I am just trying to improve the lives of everyone. Remember that. Good night to you, Adrian."** The last thing I remember is the dark clouds coming closer to the ground, seeing everything around me turn into darkness.

 **...**

 _ **[Sunday, September 25, 2016]**_

 _ **[5:02 AM]**_

I woke up in my bed with a loud scream, which woke up Shoutmon, who was sleeping on the floor.

"Adrian, what's up?" Shoutmon asked in both a worried and exhausted tone.

"We have to go. NOW," I told him as I turned on my bedroom light and frantically started getting my clothes on.

"Go where?" Shoutmon asked.

"The digital world."

"What did I tell you last night?" Shoutmon asked, now sounding more awake. "We are not going to the digital world yet! We still need to-"

"THIS IS NOT ABOUT YOU," I screamed at him. "I'm going to get the others, and we're going to go there. Whether you are too chicken to join or not is up to you, but I am going no matter what you say." I finished getting dressed, grabbed my Chrono Watch, and ran out the door.

"Adrian, wait!" I heard Shoutmon call out for me. Intentionally ignoring him, I got onto my bike and started riding to Connor's house. While riding, I got out my phone and did a group call with the others.

"Hello?" I heard the sleepy voice of Seina through my phone. "Do you know what time it is?"

"Yo, I was catching z's when you called, bro," I then heard Connor's voice. "What's up, Adri?"

"You two get dressed, right now," I told them. "And Seina, you and Hawkmon come over to Connor's house. We're going to the digital world, right now."

"Wait, what?" Seina asked, now sounding more awake. "Why do you suddenly want to go there? Wasn't Shoutmon the one telling you how dangerous it was?"

"Shoutmon isn't coming. It's just gonna be us. He was too much of a coward to come."

"Hey, man, what's with insulting Shoutmon?" Connor asked me. "I thought you two were, like, the best of friends."

"Maybe they had a falling out," Seina told Connor. Then she talked to me. "Adrian, why isn't Shoutmon coming?"

"I'll tell you all later. Just meet up at Connor's house, specifically the backyard. Now." I hung up the phone, and continued to ride towards the house. Jessie is one of my best friends. She does not deserve to be pulled into all of this digimon craziness. I have to save her.

With or without the help of Shoutmon.

A few minutes later, I arrived at the Sicamore house. I rode my bike into the backyard, as silently as I could, and waited for the others to show up. Connor and Dorumon came outside five minutes later, and Aquilamon landed with Seina on his back two minutes after that.

"Okay, Adrian," Seina started to say. "Tell us; why are we going into the digital world this soon?"

"It's Zsalm," I said. "He took one of my friends, and is using her as a hostage."

"But what about Shoutmon's-" Connor tried to say, before I cut him off.

"Fuck his warnings. Who Zsalm took was Jessie Anners, one of the sweetest, funniest, best people I have ever met in my life. He has kidnapped her, and is threatening to kill her if I don't do what he asks me to do."

"And what did he ask for?" Dorumon asked me.

"He asked for the heads of you, Shoutmon, and Hawkmon," I bluntly told Dorumon. Everyone's faces had a look of pure horror on them now.

"Is that why you brought us here?" Seina quietly asked me. "To kill them? And what did you do to Shoutmon?"

"No, no, I'm not going to kill anyone," I tried to reassure them. "I think killing a digimon is as wrong as killing another human. What I plan to do is bring us to the digital world, and then we break into Zsalm's hideout and rescue my friend. Pure and simple."

"And, by any chance, do you have a plan for this?" Hawkmon asked.

"I just told you my plan," I informed him.

"No, no, no, that isn't a plan, that's a goal," Hawkmon told me. "We can't just jump in and hope everything will go alright. We need a set course of action."

"If we wait around for that, Jessie will surely be killed. I'll take my chances."

"If we just jump in, WE will be killed."

"I don't care. Jessie deserves a chance to live. And if we don't get to her soon enough, she'll be tortured, or even killed. You're acting just like Shoutmon."

"Hawkmon..." Seina told him. "Maybe he's right. I mean, his friend's in danger, and she can't defend herself. If what you said about Zsalm is true, then we don't have much time."

"Oh, you just want to side with him because-" Hawkmon didn't get to finish that, as Seina kicked his behind to make him fall down and shut him up.

"Well, I'm with you, Adrian," Connor told me. "Both me and Dorumon. Zsalm is gonna pay."

"Count me in, as well," Seina said, smiling and holding her left arm with her right. I smiled at her. These guys truly were great friends.

"Well, count me out," Hawkmon said, getting up.

"Hawkmon, please," Seina begged the small bird digimon. "We need you."

"No, no, let him go," I said. "Let him join Shoutmon in staying behind."

"But, doesn't Seina need him to fight?" Connor asked. "We'll need his Aquilamon transportation in the digital world, right?"

"No, no, I'm staying behind," Hawkmon said. "Going to the digital world this soon will surely be suicide. If you want to do it, go ahead, although I strongly advise not doing so."

"So, you'd rather just sit back and let one of my friends die? Wow, you are just like Shoutmon."

"Who's just like me?" I heard a voice say. I turned around and saw Shoutmon walking towards the group.

"What are you doing here, Shoutmon?" I asked, crossing my arms. "To stop me? To tell me we'd all be killed?"

"To help you."

"What?"

"Look, you're right," Shoutmon sighed as he admitted. "I am being a coward. It's just... it's just that I've seen what Zsalm can do with my own eyes. I was... scared. Plus, if I did become a Corruptmon... I wouldn't want you to see me like that."

"Shoutmon..." Hawkmon said.

"Hawkmon, we need to go back," Shoutmon told the bird. "Adrian has been a great friend these past two weeks, and one of his friends is in danger. We need to go back and save her. Do you understand?"

"But Zsalm-"

"Who gives a Terriormon's ass about Zsalm? Besides... there may be a chance I can save my sister as well. And you... you could finally save your cousin."

"Wait, a cousin?" Seina asked. "You never told me about a cousin."

"To be honest, I did not really want to talk about him," Hawkmon admitted, rubbing the back of his head. He looked up and stared into Shoutmon's eyes.

"Are you with us, Hawkmon?"

It took about one or two minutes for Hawkmon to come up with an answer. Needless to say, we were all surprised by his response.

"Yes. Yes I am, Shoutmon."

"Alright then," Shoutmon said. He started to walk towards the lake behind Connor's house, and we all followed him. "Did anyone bring their phone?"

"You can use mine," Seina offered as she handed her light purple smartphone to Shoutmon. He then placed it on the grass and faced his palm towards it, as if he was waiting for a high five. The phone's screen then started to do the exact same particle effects as the day I met Shoutmon. Before I knew it, there was a portal on the screen.

"Everyone, jump in!" Shoutmon yelled as he jumped onto the phone, and promply disappeared, with Hawkmon and Dorumon following suit. Me, Seina, and Connor looked at each other in doubt for a bit, but then we nodded, and proceeded to jump onto the phone. I went first, and as soon as I did, I found myself falling through a tunnel of digital numbers, squares, and circles, all glowing bright red. I looked down and saw the three digimon falling as well.

A few minutes of falling later, the bottom suddenly opened up, and I landed hard onto the ground.

"Well, that hurt," I muttered. I looked up, and saw Shoutmon offering his paw to me. I grabbed it, and he helped me up.

"Welcome," Shoutmon told everyone, "to the digital world."


	10. Episode 10: Corruption

(DISCLAIMER: I do **NOT** own the Digimon franchise, the digimon featured in this story, or the lyrics of the songs I use so you can go on YouTube and listen to them. All I own are the humans characters, and the concept of "Chronotic Energy.")

Well, now is the time, ladies and gentlemen... The main cast is finally going into the digital world!

I honestly am amazed that this is already the tenth chapter, and at the amount of support I got from you guys. Thank you very much for taking the time and reading some dude's fanfiction on the internet. It really means a lot to me that people are taking the time to read my story, and enjoying it, too.

Oh, and I got some news: I am currently looking for a beta reader! If you're interested in beta reading (meaning you'll be able to read new chapters early) then send me a message. To guarantee that someone does message, no chapters until a beta reader is found!

Am I bluffing? Well, let's find out, on DIGIMON: CHRONO!

 **...**

 **EPISODE 10: Corruption**

"Welcome," Shoutmon told us all, "to the digital world."

"Oh my god..." was all I could manage to respond. Shoutmon had told us things were bad here, but I just assumed we was overexaggerating. He was not.

This place really was more akin to an apocalyptic wasteland. The trees that were once present were either left as stumps, or have died long ago. The grass was as dead as the trees, with pastures of yellowish bron instead of green. Buildings had been destroyed and toppled over, and the roads and pathways as well. The air was dirty, and the sky was covered in dark purple clouds.

This place was absolutely destroyed.

"You weren't kidding..." Seina said, eyes bulging out of her skull. "Everything is dead. All the plants, and the grass... they are all dead."

"If this was all Zsalm's doing," Connor said, "than he is not a cool dude."

"Yes, and believe it or not, this was our home... once," Shoutmon said.

"I thought I would never come back here," Hawkmon said in a hoarse voice. "I thought that once we escaped, we'd be free of this place forever. Oh, how wrong I was."

The digimon seemed to be having the biggest reaction to this place. All Shoutmon could do was look at the very dead grass he was standing on, and I saw tears drip from his face. Hawkmon just looked onwards up the road we landed next to, not moving a single muscle.

Dorumon, however, had the biggest reaction yet. Dorumon, to me, always seemed like a very young, very impressionable digimon. He had always seemed to look up to his partner, and he was always very kind. That all changed as soon as he saw the attrocity that was his home five years ago. He just looked frantically at all the dead plants, the dark sky, and the gloomy atmosphere. Finally, he dropped to his knees, and tears ran down his face like waterfalls.

"N-n-no..." Dorumon said in between sniffles, his voice shaking. "T-t-this c-can't be my-y-y h-hom-me. P-p-pleas-se te-ell m-me it isn't!"

"Oh, Dorumon..." Seina said gently as she kneeled down to him. She put a hand on his back. "I'm sorry, but it is. I know it's hard to take in, but-" Seina didn't get to finish. Dorumon punched her in the face before she could. The punch sent her flying backwards a few inches, and we all watched in horror at what Dorumon just did. She looked up with a bruise in between her eyes and saw Dorumon standing in front of her, breathing heavily.

"Don't..." he started to say. "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH ME!"

"Dorumon..." Connor said, "everything's all right buddy. Let's just take a deep breath."

"You look around you," Dorumon coldly told his partner. "Does this entire situation look 'just fine' to you? DOES IT?"

"Dorumon, take it from me," Shoutmon said, "freaking out like this will only lead to more problems. I know you're upset; everyone was. Now, do what your partner said, and take a deep breath."

"B-b-but my home!" Dorumon screamed. "My family! My friends! What happened to them? They could be dead! I think freaking out is the PERFECT reaction to this!"

"Dorumon, freaking out is not the answer," I tried to tell him, "please, just don't do anything that will hurt yourself, or others, in any way."

For a while, Dorumon just stared at us all, tears continuting to run down his face. He finally got up, and started running into the woods.

"Dorumon!" Connor yelled, holding out his hand towards his partner. "Wait!" He then ran after Dorumon into the forest.

"Connor, wait!" Seina tried to say, but it was too late; he and Dorumon had both disappeared into the dead tree filled forest. She was about to run after them, but Hawkmon stopped her.

"I wouldn't go after them," Hawkmon advised her. "Dorumon is already in pain and shock over this situation. Maybe it would be best that only his partner would make him feel better."

"But, what if something bad happens to them?" Seina asked, sounding worried. "What if they get attacked? Or corrupted?"

"Those two are members of Chrono-League now," Shoutmon reassured her. "They can take care of themselves."

"Yeah, I guess..." Seina said, defeated.

"Besides, we still have to save Jessie," I reminded Seina. I turned to Shoutmon and asked, "Do you know where Zsalm keeps his prisoners?"

"In fact, I do," Shoutmon nodded. "Get out your map from your Chrono Watch."

"Uhhh..." I said, staring at my watch and sounding like a moron. How did this thing work, exactly?

"Oh... I never did explain how to use it... hehe..." Shoutmon blushed and rubbed the back of his head. He walked up to me and grabbed my left arm. After a few seconds, the watch projected a red holographic map of the area.

"The main city of Zsalm's empire is right here," Shoutmon said, as he pointed to a point on the map. "Omniopolis."

"Actually, it's Zsalmopolis now," Hawkmon corrected.

"I refuse to call it that," Shoutmon growled. Seina and I just started laughing like crazy.

"Is Zsalm that egotistical?" Seina asked while she was laughing.

"Yes, yes he is," Shoutmon said with no emotion at all. "Now, in his city, the prison is inside the main castle he built for himself. What we need to do is disguise ourselves as Corruptmon and we can sneak inside."

"No can do," I told him.

"What do you mean?" Shoutmon asked, sounding very confused.

"Zsalm admitted that he's been watching us. He knows what we look like; disguises are not going to work."

"Well, shit," Shoutmon said. "Now how are we going to get in?"

"Is there a way we can use Chrono to become invisible to everybody?"

"Well... yes..." Shoutmon admitted, "but it's a bit risky."

"How is it risky?" Seina asked Shoutmon.

"Chronotic Invisibility only lasts five minutes at a time, and it takes one minute to recharge. We'd have to both hit it and find spots in the castle to hide in. If even one Corruptmon spots us, we're dead."

"Do you know the layout of the castle?" I asked him curiously.

"Unfortunately, I do," Shoutmon sighed. "I'm not going to go into it, right now. I'll explain more on the way there." He pointed up the road. "We just follow this road until we get to the city. It's the closest city from where we are."

"But wait," Seina grabbed Shoutmon's shoulder. "What about Connor and Dorumon? How will they know where to go?"

"Does the digital world have phone reception?" I asked, holding up my smartphone. I looked at the top right corner of its screen. No bars.

"Well, that answers that," I said with a very noticable amount of disappointment in my voice.

"I'll go and see where they are," Shoutmon volunteered. "When you get to the city, hide in one of the many bushes surrounding it. Do not engage any digimon, whether they be Corruptmon or not." After he finished talking, he said goodbye and ran into the forest.

"Shall we?" Hawkmon asked us. Seina and I nodded yes, and we started to walk down the road to Omniopolis. Or Zsalmopolis.

Or whatever the fucking name of the place is.

 **...**

Connor had been running through the forest for what felt like an hour. How could Dorumon just run off like that? He's never seen him this upset before.

It was like seeing this place changed something inside of him. Like when Connor's father died.

Connor kept running, searching through the forest, hoping for at least a glimpse of Dorumon. He couldn't have run off too far, right? He ran through dead tree after dead tree, after dead tree, to find his partner. Finally, Connor spotted him, lying on his knees.

Connor slowly walked towards him. "Hey there, Dorumon," Connor said very quietly, but still loud enough for Dorumon to hear. "Are you all right?"

"Connor?" Dorumon turned around to face his partner. The fur around his eyes were wet with tears. "Connor, I... I shouldn't have run... you must think I'm such a baby."

"No, no, that's not true at all," Connor reassured Dorumon as he patted his back. "I am really, really sorry. About this whole situation."

"I think it would've been better if I hadn't come at all," Dorumon cried. "This place was my home, and now I don't even recognize it!"

"Don't worry. Zsalm is going to be stopped. We can fix this."

"Look around you, Connor. Does any of this look like it can be fixed? And if Zsalm can do this, can we really stop him?"

Connor was at a loss for words. What Dorumon said really put doubt in his mind about their war. Was Dorumon right? Is Zsalm truly unstoppable?"

"CAN WE?!"

"Dorumon, I know you're upset," Connor said, trying to console his partner, "but you need to calm down."

"I shouldn't have ever left this world..." Dorumon said. "I should've stayed; I could've done something to help protect it. But NO! I just HAD to go see what the real world was like! I was a nuisance to your family from the start."

"Dorumon, you know damn well that is not true," Connor began to raise his voice. "The moment we bonded, you were a permanent member of the Sicamore family. You made each day extraordinary for us."

Dorumon looked away from him in shame. Connor then turned Dorumon's head towards himself.

"You helped us when my pops passed away. Do you remember?"

"Yeah..." Dorumon muttered. "Yeah, I do..."

"Now, how about we go back and join the others, huh?"

"Okay... okay, yeah. I'll come..."

"Don't worry. Zsalm is not going to get away with ruining your home. And we can help rebuild it." Connor held out his hand for Dorumon to take. Before he could take Connor's hand, there was a sudden screech.

"What was that?!" Connor asked, summoning his whip weapon on instinct. Dorumon got up immediately and went back-to-back with Connor.

"Stay close, you got that?" Connor asked his partner. Dorumon nodded a "yes." A few seconds of waiting later, a bunch of trees suddenly fell over on top of one another. Out of this rubble, a giant blue dinosaur appeared in front of them.

"A Corruptmon!" Dorumon yelled. Connor immediately raised his watch to get an identification of this digimon.

"It's an Allomon," he muttered. "And by the looks of it, not a very friendly one. Ready, Dorumon?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess," Dorumon replied. Before they could Chronovolve, though, Allomon came running and hit Connor through the trees.

"CONNOR!" Dorumon yelled, but Allomon grabbed Dorumon with its tail.

 **"Lord Zsalm has plans for you,"** was all the Allomon said. Suddenly, Dorumon felt a tingling sensation in his feet and arms, which spread through the rest of his body. This was then followed by extreme pain.

"No, no!" Dorumon pleaded as he tried to break free. "What are you doing to me?! No! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

 **...**

As I was running through the forest looking for where Connor and Dorumon went, I heard a loud screech.

"What was that?" I asked myself before running in the direction where I had heard it. A minute later, though, I saw something fly right at me. I had attempted to dodge, but I wasn't quick enough and it hit me, sending me flying with it. When we landed on the ground, I was underneath something, but I wasn't sure what. All I knew was that it was crushing my internal organs.

"Get... off... me..." I tried to say, but with my lungs being an important part of speech, and with them being crushed, I could barely let out a whisper.

"Sh... Shouts?" I heard a voice say. Connor! He got up after realizing it was me, finally allowing me to breathe.

"Connor, what happened?" I asked after getting up and regaining my breath. "Why were you flying towards me."

"A Corruptmon attacked and..." I saw Connor's eyes bulge with fear. "Dorumon! DORUMON!" He yelled as he ran back from where he came from.

"Connor, wait up!" I called as I chased after him. I was chasing him for a bit when he suddenly stops, leaving me to stop as well.

"Connor?" I asked nervously. "Is... is something wrong?"

"It... it can't be..." Connor muttered.

"What can't be? What are you talking about?" I asked him. I got up closer and saw what Connor was seeing.

It was Dorumon. Or, should I say, it used to be Dorumon.

"Dorumon?" Connor asked. "It's me, Connor... don't you remember?"

"Connor, we have to go," I told him. "Dorumon is-"

"He can be saved..." Connor insisted. "Yeah, we saved digimon before... he can... he can be cured."

 **"Oh, hello there, former teammate,"** the corrupted Dorumon said in a menacing voice. **"I have finally learned the truth. Lord Zsalm is our savior."**

"You were just upset about how he destroyed everything, Dorumon," Connor yelled. "About how he destroyed your home! About how you wanted to stop him!"

 **"That was before I saw the light,"** Dorumon told him. **"I now see that all of this is minor collateral damage for the pure good that Lord Zsalm plans to bring upon us."**

"We will find a way to help him, Connor," I said, grabbing his arm, "but right now, we have to go."

 **"Before you leave,"** Dorumon stopped us, **"I have to do my job, as given to me by my Lord; I must make you see the light."** I saw a ball of corruption form on his right paw. I knew what that meant.

"No, thanks," I said as Connor and I ran for the others, out of the woods.

"What the hell was that for?!" Connor yelled at me as we were running. "We could've saved him! We-"

"First, we have to defeat him," I told Connor, "and since I can't Chronovolve without Adrian, I doubt we would've emerged victorious... or as ourselves, for that matter."

"MY PARTNER IS A CORRUPTMON," Connor yelled as he broke his arm free of my grasp, "AND YOU WON'T HELP HIM? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

"I know it hurts, Connor, but what can just the two of us do about it? Now come on," I said to him as I grabbed his arm again and started running. "We can tell the others the situation, and they'll understand."

"I can't believe that Dorumon was corrupted," I heard Connor say.

"That was the reason I didn't want us to come here, Connor. I didn't want you guys to become corrupted like everyone else..." And under my breath, I said, "...like me."

"Whoa, what did you say?" Connor asked.

"N-nothing! Nothing at all."

 **...**

 _Man, this place is so depressing..._ I thought with my hands behind my head as we walked down the cracked path to Zsalm-Omnio-I DON'T CARE.

"Hey, Adrian?" Seina said to my right.

"What's up, Seina?" I replied.

"Do you think the others will be alright?"

"I'm positive of it. Connor and Dorumon can definitely hold their own, plus they have Shoutmon."

"All this corruption stuff has gotten me _orsore_ ; afraid."

"The corruption business is pretty scary-sounding," I admitted, "but it can't be that easy to corrupt others."

"Actually, it is," Hawkmon corrected me. He got a face full of foot for that. "Okay, I deserve that," he mumbled as he ran up to us.

"Look, this mission is going to be simple: we go in, save my friend, get out. No one is going to turn into a Corruptmon today."

"Guys! GUYS!" I suddenly heard a voice yell. We turned around and saw Shoutmon and Connor running towards us.

"Shoutmon, what happened?" I asked after they had caught up.

"And where's Dorumon?" Seina asked. Connor gave her a look of pure sorrow. Her eyes widened, and she put a hand over her mouth. "No..."

"It's true," Connor admitted.

"Look, you and Seina have to digivolve me and Hawkmon," Shoutmon explained to me. "It's the only way to save Dorumon."

"But what if you guys are corrupted, as well?" I asked him. "What do we do then?"

"If we somehow end up getting corrupted," Shoutmon told me, "do not stop. Get to Omniopolis ("Zsalmolpolis!" Hawkmon interrupted, leaving Shoutmon to look very annoyed,) and save your friend. Don't worry about us."

"That is not going to happen," Seina yelled. "We're going to stand by you the whole time, no matter what."

"I am not letting you humans get corrupted," Shoutmon yelled.

"Oh, and we should let all of you turn?" Connor asked back. "Is that it?"

"I believe Shoutmon is just trying to keep you all safe," Hawkmon said, clearly taking Shoutmon's side.

"We may be human, but we can take care of ourselves..." I told the two digimon, summoning my sword.

"We are going to fight with you..." Seina said, summoning her bow staff.

"And save my partner from corruption," Connor finished, summoning his whip. Shoutmon looked at all three of us, and sighed in defeat.

"Very well..." Shoutmon said. We looked down the road, and saw a corrupted Dorugamon fly towards us.

 **"You will see the light,"** it said. **"Lord Zsalm is our savior!"**

"It's like he's trying to convince us that we're the bad guys," Seina commented.

"More like he's part of a religion and is trying to conform the world," I added. We each raised a hand and blasted our partners with Chrono energy.

 _ **"CHRONOTIC TRANSFER!"**_

 _ **"Shoutmon, Chronovolve to... SilvShoutmon!"**_

 _ **"Hawkmon, Chronovolve to... Aquilamon!"**_

The corrupted Dorugamon roared and charged toward us. But we were ready.

"Hold on, Dorumon," I heard Connor mutter. "We're going to save you..."


	11. Update: Stuff happens, Writer's Block

Hello everyone!

Ugh, I hate making these update chapters; they're just a space waster. But I need SOME way of telling you guys why I'm taking so long with new chapters.

First of all, school. I kind of have to focus on that, or else I'm gonna be living out on the streets without a job.

Second, I have other hobbies other than writing. Like video games, movies, the Internet, and TV shows, just to name a few.

Third, I have come down with a case of writer's block. It's like, I know what I WANT to happen for the next chapter, but I'm having trouble making it actually happen in a way that I like.

So, I have NO IDEA when the real chapter 11 will come, but just hang in there, okay? I'm doing my best, and I want to finish this story fully. And I will.

This update will be removed when chapter 11 officially is published. Until then, stay tuned!

Oh, right: what are you thinking of the story so far? Any characters you like/dislike? What am I doing great, and what should I tweak a bit? Let me know in a review, please!


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